The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-01-17

of prevention may be furnish by the
public schools in educating the young
in the effect of alcohol upon the system.
Much good can be accomplished from
this and all other systems and methods
tending to upllft the conditions Of life.
heartily support any means OF making
better men and women, better citizens
and better and happier homes"
These are the words of man whose
heart is in the right place, and it would
be strange with such powerful advo-
cate the people of Minneapolis at least,
could not root out the many holes that
infest it. 1t is but few weeks since
that we read of a prominent saloon
keeper in Minneapolis who was actively
and openly engaged in working scheme
to have the legislature reduce the
license from $1,000 to $500. Now what
temperance refOrmer is coming to the
front to have the same increased to
$4,000 or $4,000? yet it is apparent that
the $1,000 license is working hardship
upon the saloon element, and this is
the time to strike. Double the license,
and double it again until the profits are
eaten out of the traffic, and if nothing
else, it will close the GROCERY, the buns
resort, the thieves paradise. The bene-
fits from this can scarcely be compre-
hended. Set portion of the city aside
where liquor may be sold, and confine
its sale strictly to that district and
Minneapolis would not have two dozen
saloons in year. The respectable man
would not be seen there. The bum,
the thief, the gambler and blackleg
would be continually under the sur
vigilance of the authorities, and crime
would lessen. AS it is, the child going
to school is forced to listen to the clink-
ing glass, often the vilest language
'emanating from the saloon door, often
times next to the very school door itself.
The same is true of the church. Gods
holy word preached in one building; re-
viled, cursed, and blasphemed in the
same block, aye, under its very arches.
The liquor dealer claims it takes money
to secure the legislation they prosper
under; whose money is it? requires no
answer. Ask the widow, the orphan
the poor helpless drunkard, the convict,
they will all tell the same tale. What
has all the money, talent, and oratory
expended by temperance societies in
the past 80 years accomplished toward
the eradication of this evil? Made
few converts and teetotallers, we'll ad-
NIT, but in general, the liquor traffic
has grown and expanded to such gigan-
tic proportions that no legislation of
the present day is possible without it's
pernicious influence. The logical con-
clusion the temperance refOrmer can
arrive at is, to fight this element with
its own weapons. If legislation that
will benefit humanity, lift up the fallen,
reduce crime and make happy peopls
must be purchased, band together and
purchase it. For one saloon keeper
there are fifty reformers, and there are
thousands of men who possess the
wealth and influence who will come to
the rescue, for it is better to put the
money into something that will prevent,
than to throw thousands into some
building or institution to attempt
cure. The history of the greater num-
Der of these institutions is failure.
This method carries many arguments,
pro and con. as to corruption of legis
lation unchriStian ETC. but knoWl-
edge that these methods are applied by
the enemy and an acQuiescence in them,
is of much more harm than to apply
the same, when the results are for the
benefit of the human race. Men, as
!, we'll as communities, spend vast sums
, of money every day in more unholy
cause. We claim, however, this to be
: unnecessary, if the temperance advo-
Gates and workers concentrate their
, forces and fight for the highest license
attainable, and the removal Of
saloons from respectable localities.
Isolate them as you would the
pest house, for where the latter
, kills a few, the former enters the house
of the multitude. 1t is no respecter
of persons. Destroying alike the
father. mother, husband, wife, even the
child in the cradle and unborn, are in
fected by the greatest curse ever sent
to man. Let no creed or political
affiliations, color or race enter into this
battle, but all unite and fight the COM
: mon enemy; and you will free millions
: that are suffering under a greater
T slavery, than any since the dawning of
the world.