The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-23

wonderful subtraction from the wealth
of the nation does more harm than all
the short crops and business depressions
we ever experience. Some people may say
they will vote for license in order TO get
the revenue that may be obtained from
IL, but do you not know that the revenue
derived from licenses IA but eight per
cent. OF what IL costs TO take care of the
traffic? OF wonderful wisdom. You
want to Get IS in order to lose s100. III sa-
looms were abolished the necessity for the
raising OF three-fourths OF the taxes now
community.
"Every year 100,00O OF our sons and
brothers die from the effect of the use of
liquor. When rum touches the brain II
has most disastrous effect. The con.
science is weakened and the moral ideas
sapped. He who begins 10 drink begins
10 go rapidly down the scale until he be-
comes an insensate brute. Gambling,
stealing, profanity, all cluster around
the saloon and spread their noisome
effects over the community. Careful
jurists tell us that nine-tenths OF the
crimes committed are due to rum. They
are ready to testify that the saloon is
most eff, ctive agent OF crime.
"Liquor destroys not only directly but
indirectly. When people who use 1t are
attacked by cholera or other diseases
their weakened condition makes recovery
doubtful. Consumption ferrets out
those who are addicted TO drink L he
number of deaths traceable TO liquor is
more than that resulting from all other
causes.
81 suppose II some foreigners were to
come over here and start pest houses for
the cultivation OF disease what an outcry
there would be, what mobs would gather
TO destroy those who had committed such
acts: But what OF he 2C0, COO saloons that
foreigners, or most of thoir owners are
foreigners, have set up in different parts
OF the country.
"There should be a skull and cross
bones at the door OF every saloon i'm the
land to signify the business Of death car
ried on there. The saloon packs juries,
holds rover over judges, corruptIy con-
trols over a million OF voters and pollutes
the very channels of justice. 1t is enabled
10 90 this by the great amount OF money
made in the business, by the sale of in
pure liquors, as the profit is over 800 PER
cent. The saloon Is one OF the flesh tear
ing teeth OF organized greed that has the
nation in oeath struggle. We must
tight and destroy 1t and " hat Is back OF
1t or its great Preed TO make money out
OF souls Will ce troy Us.
"Its effect on the social phere of life
works havoc in the highest places of the
ma tion, it lays its hands on the pulpit
and has robbed the church of great lights
and In the sacred precincts of the home ii
works tremendous havoc. 1t also crawls
around the school door and one OF the
darkest things about the liquor traffic is
the destruction 1t works on young men.
1t leads them on and we see 300, 600 stag.
gering men soon to take the places OF the
same number OF inebriates, and will you
license such traps as these saloons?
"Then we have half million broken
hearted mothers and two or three million
hungry and ragged children.
Look at the names you see over the
doors OF the saloon, "Sullivan, Mccarthy,
and McGll," scurvy representatives Of
the class that comes oven from the slums
OF Europe to run such such places. They
come here TO debauch your children, to
get rich out Of your wealth and lead
wicked snd idle lives at your expense"
Rev. Mr.. Tower then gave brief ac-
count OF what prohibition had done in
other places and dwelt on the number of
young men who had teen saved by the
absence OF saloons. Continuing, he said:
80, that Providence was so aroused in
this it's citizens would go to the polls
and vote no-license. l tell you in Provi-
dence, as elsewhere, we need revival OF
moral earnestness True love OF God
means hatred Of the devil. Some peo-
pl, think they are only loving God when
lney are In fact only loving themselves.
We should fight evil earnestly and /
know that the liquor traffic can be sup
pressed as in Maine. don't mean to say
that there Is not a glass of liquor sold in
that State no more than I mean to say
there is no stealing done there, but j
know counties in that State where there
is not jail and other counties in which
the jails are empty. Some people say
the liquor traffic cannot be stopped; but
1t can be stopped here in Providence.
The city OF Cambridge has closed its az
saloons aud the citizens OF that city
have to go to the Hub to get their grog.
We must fight the war of God II get the
crown; the mere voting of no license will
not stop the traffic, we must follow 1t up
by other works. Let us then go to the
polls and vote and let us do all we can
In the meanwhile to encourage Others to
support the movement and also attend
the meetings of the coming week maxi
ing sacrifices TO DO SO and may the vote
rolled up in favor OF no-lIcense he large
one.