The Topeka state journal., 1897-07-24
HOME VS.. SALOON.
Fierce Fractional Fight Rages
in Indianapolis.
Good Citizens League on One
Side, Brewers on the Other.
POLITICS COMES UP.
Councilmen Hesitate to Take
Sides on the Issue,
Fearing the Effect on Their
Political Fortunes.

Indianapolis, July 24-The strife be-
tween the Good Citizens League and
the saloon and brewery interests over
the exclusion of saloons and beer gar
dens from the First, Second, Third and
Fourth wards of this city has reached
the acute stage.
The individuals most actively advo-
eating exclusion are pushing the fight
with great determination.
The liquor interests on the other
hand, are meeting organization with or
ganlzat1on and coercion is not entirely
free from the campaign.
Ihe work of securing signerS to anti
saloon petitions was begun by the Good
CltlzenS League two months ago and
the names now on the petitions ag
gregate more than 1000. with the terri
tory but partly canVaSsed.
The district from which it is sought
TO exclude the saloons is a residence
section, and has always been noted for
It's antipathy to the sale of intoxicants.
The people have generally signed re-
nonstranceS under the old law, and
when these failed to prevent the is
suance of licenses they have adopted
such measures of OStracism against the
persistent saloonkeeper that they ulti-
mately drove him out of the territory.
1t was this section, proVerbial for it's
opposition to the saloon that the league
selected as the ground for its first
charge under the Moore law
The law provides that common coun-
ellis may exclude saloons from residence
districts upon petition of. the people
HAD the campaign been opened in any
other part of the city the chances are
that it would not have met with such
a nearly concurrence on the part of
residents, but the alacr1ty with which
people have signed the petitions has at
tracted the attention of other sections
and these are only waiting the action of
the council to inaugUrate similar cam
paign.
Knowing the strength of the move
ment, the saloon and brewery interests
feel that their continued prosperity, if
not their very existence, depends upon
the defeat OF the proposed ordinance,
and they are bringing to bear every
possible influence to that end. Agents
of the saloon are following the agents
of the league from day to day taking
notes of the persons who sign the pc
titions and subsequently bringing pres
sure to bear upon them in order to
have their names removed from the pc
titiOns.
Where the person himself cannot be
reached directly, his employer is ap-
pealed to, and in some cases it has been
found that adherence to his principles
has been purchased at the expense of
the loss of work.
Wherever influence can be exerted it
is used by the liquor men without stint.
A number of persons have said to the
agents of the league that they would
cheerfu1ly sign the petitions but for
the fact that they were dependent in
one way or another upon the liquor in
tereStS for the means of earning a live
hhood.
In other cases, men have refused to
sign the petitions for similar reasons,
but have gone personally to members
of the city council and asked them to
vote for the ordinance, stipula ting, how
ever, that their advocacy of saloon ex-
clusion should not be made public.
During the preliminary work of the
lea cue the ministers of the citV Occu-
pied a quasi-neutral position. Recently,
however, the brewery interests have
caused two or three parks to be opened
on the north side, and Immediately
within the territory from which it is
proposed to exclude the saloons. AS
a result the ministers have now added
their voices to the condemnation of
these places and are exerting healthy
influence in favor of absolute exclusion.
One of these parks or fashionable beer
gardens was opened only two weeks ago
and it was advertised as a place of re
finement where any woman or any fam
lily might go to pass an evening with
out fear of meeting that class which is
usually found at such resorts. The pro-
prietor spared neither pains nor ex-
pense to make it attractive Each ev
ening it was ablaze with many cOlored
electric lights, harmonious with the
strains of enticing music and fragrant
with the odOr of sweet scented plants.
while the serving of cooling drinks and
ices added to the enticements of the re-
sort.
Church members were loud in the
praise of the place, which is known as
Fair Bank and every body spoke of
the scrupulous care exercised to exclude
anything of a concentrating influence
from its precincts. Finally, however, a
prominent minister took up the theO-
logical cudgel against the resort. He
denounced it as Fair HE'LL and
warned the congregation of the danger
impending over them. Other ministers
took up the theme and the better class
of people are now giving the resort a
wide berth.
ticeable than another from the attempt
to make beer drinking respectable here
it is seen in the added energy of the
temperance people in the fight to close
such resorts and drive the saloon to the
business center of the city. The people
engaged in the movement are not tenn
perance cranks,'' as is often charged
They concede to the saloons all the
rights that the law gives, but deny that
they should be allowed to flourish un-
der the very shadow of the home, where
their allurements may prove most de-
StructiVe to the rising generation.
1t is no secret that the enthusiasm
over the proposed exclusion is confined
TO the people, and it is not so far mani
fest in the council, which must pass the
restrictive ordinance. While the latter
has been introduced and referred to.
committee, it is conceded that there
will be no rush to take 1t from the hles.
A city campaign is pending and nearly
all of the councilmen are looking to re-
election. Under these circumstances
they are carefully weighing the ordi-
nance in the light of the political ad-
vantage or disadvantage that their
votes may bring. For this reason act
ion may be postponed from time to time
and vote may not be reached until af-
ter the councilmanic nominations are
all made
ScaIds Burns, Old Sores, Tumors,
Piles all are relieved at once. and in
time seffectually cured by the use of that
perfect ointment, Beggs' German SalVe.
Ask your druggist for sample. All