Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-08-16


the following editorial paragraph ap. |
peared in the Wilmington Morning NeWs:
The public parks have become very pop.
ular this summer, and it is noticeable that |
as the parks have grown in public favor |
the saloons have been losing their trade. |
This is suggestive of an enmity between
the parks and the saloons in which the
temperance people should favor the parks.
As the Prohibition party leaders in this
State are leading a forlorn hope with little
apparent chance of eifecting anything in
favor OF prohibition, we suggest that they
donate their campaign fund for park i'm
provement and vote the Republican ticket
this fall. Both of these things would be in
the line OF effective temperance work.
Having been frequent visitor to your
city for many years, and never having
noticed the suggested rePiessiyeiniiuence
of the parks on the saloons, | secured
the following information from Chief of
Police John +. Dolan, which may be of
interest to your readers and also prove
useful guide to the editor of the NeUS
in future illusions to temperance work:
From July LIST, 1891, to June Both,
1902, the total number of arrests for
various causes was about A, 100. From
July, 1892, to June, 1893, there were 30
arrests for vagrancy; assault, 334; drunk
enness, 1887; other causes brought the
total up to 4,486. From July, 1898, to
June, 1894, the total arrests We're 4, 1854,
of which 20 were for vagrancy; assault,
1852; drunkenness, 1893; drunk and beg
ging, 10. In addition to the foregoing a
record of arrests for 1888 shows the total
number for nine months of that year to
have been 2,019, and of these 1,l05
were for drunkenness and disorderly
conduct
In 1888, if | mistake not, Wilmington
had no park of its own-eXCepting pos
sible, some squares-with an average of
about 1875 arrests month for drunken
ness. Since that time it has acquired
possession of and made quite attractive
large tracts along the Brandywine.
Union Park has also been opened since
that time, and more recently Shellpot
Park.
According to the Ne,rS' logic, the
"enmity" between parks and saloons
should have become more manifest as
each park offered its attractions to the
public. The foregoing figures do not
sustain this. OF course, it may be
claimed that increasing population will
account for the increase in arrests from
1888 to 1894. But, if the NeBS' argu.
ment amounts to anything, the beneti-
cent influence of the parks, as they in
crease in number, should decrease the
proportion of arrests to the population.
AS matter of fact, the arrests for
drunkenness and disorderly conduct
have increased from one in go of the
population for 1885 (60,000) to one in IS
in 1894 assuming the population to be
75,000) In other words, the influence
OF the saloons is growing twice as fast
as that of the parks.
The insinuation that public parks are
conducive to temperance has no basis
in Wilmington and probably nowhere
else. New York city is recorded
as the fifth city in the world for
park area, and yet the "enmity" of its
parks might as well be "harmony" SO
lar as its thousands of tlourishing
saloons are concerned. Philadelphia
has its beautiful Paramount Park, be-
sides numbers of public squares in diff
feront parts of the city, but instead of
exerting the enmity toward saloons sug-
gested by the Mems, the latter are
steadily growing in number, by the
grace Of the court in spring time and
that of theChristian voter ON election day.
OF course, it is plainly understood
that the editor of the Ne@s, as u good
Republican, is not bursting with zeal
half so much for either park or temper
ance as he is for votes. 1t is the
5S4 Prohibition votes OF Delaware that
he is after, and in Il winsome way he
holds UP the merits of the parks and the
Republican party and says: Both OF
these things would be in the line oil
effective temperance work"
So often has it been declared that the
Republican party is "the party Of TEN
perance and morality" that good many
people in Delaware and in other parts o.
the country believe it is really true. Ii
no other way can account for the fac
that on every election day for years pas
the Christian church and the salooI
have been yoke-fellows. Surely, til,
preachers who from the pulpit hur
n annihilating anathemas at the saloon
Il and the pious church members wht
feryently shout "Amen !" and prey
VA wrhy kingdom Gomez" surely, thu
Christian church which for 1854 days il
a the year turns up its nose at the saloon
keeper and passes by on the other side
TO avoid contact with the moral leper
W would not ON election day be his politi
y cal yoke-fellow, if it were not for thu
unfaltering faith that the Republican
M party is "the party OF temperance ant
YAH good moral lucas. lHcIe hie oot NOtSi
All in Delaware who have asked themselve
the question, "How can two wall
together unless they be agreed 7" The.
couldn't agree with the saloons, no
M with saloon politics, and, having con
sciences, they quit voting according +
their old-time prejudices and vote
according to their consciences. Thi
n action is earnestly commended to tn
Delaware saints of various degrees an
Denominations.
M Up to few years ago the Republica
party had practically absolute nations
sway for generation. Although
Democratic President ruled four veal
of that time, it was not till about yea
ago that complete change was mad
in the political control Of Congress
Congress makes the national laws, Coz
gress fosters, by suitable laws, u
nations industries Now, being Ri
publican Congress, and therefore,
Temperance and morality Congress
here is how temperance was helpe
along by it in the nation in period
16 years;
t,' ANNUAL RETAIL COST OF THE DRINK TRAFFIC.
81 1H7S.......-S 4oa,SIs,FIhIl sSb....-. It'uhu'e
M JB7g,,..... 4S2,06i, 339l 1887 ........ I62,5EiO
l8S0........ b6S,iil,a57 1883 .,..... SlS,0Si,7
4i2A 1BSl...... 6iIS,07O, 693 1889. SiO,Se0,s
gY lsS2....... 66d,7G5, 42S 6g0........ aO2,Gi5,s
t3 1899. 70S,OS9, s6S 1891 ........ Y96S2,s
lSS4....... 7l7,slS.9l5 1892. i,Ol4 s9l, )