The Irish standard., 1897-03-20

al others can be readily found to take
their places, If they will not cheerfully
yield to the demand for Sunday work.
In times of great industrial depression,
when thousands of capable men are idle,
the honest man, who is solicitcus for his
family's welfare, cannot afford to refuse
to labor, if required to do SO, either on
Sunday or rany other day. Because
some men are willing to conniye at the
dissertation Of the Sunday, the debasa-
ment Of abor, and the enslavement of
working men, is no valid reason why av-
aricious wealth should be permitted to
tramp1e upon righteous laws that have
been enacted for the protection of the
! many against the encroachments Of the
designing few. The general welfare
,, must be the first thought in we'll regu-
i lated society. The interests of the indi-
vidual must give way to the interests Of
the public This, Of course, does not mean
that the religious or civic rights Of tho
individual must be sacrificed for the gen.
eral welfare. The general welfare de-
mands that the rights of the humblest
member Of society shall be as safely pro-
tected as the rights Of the greatest.
I have devoted SO much space to this
particular phase Of law violation, be-
, cause regard it as the very root of the
/ evil. When laws are disregarded by
great and powerful corporations, when
they heartlessly tranlple upon the sacred
rights Of their employees, when they bru-
talize men by robbing them Of Sunday
!; rest and their religious rights, we can
not hope that the ignorant, the criminal,
| or those debased by saloon Influences
will have much respect for state or mu-
nictpal legislation.
| The salccn and soial evil are most
prominent factors in resisting good gov
| ernnDsrlt In cur cities. Notwithstanding
| all the earnest agitation against them,
we do not seem to have made very much
progress in compelling them to respect
and obey reasonable Legislative restric-
tons. Under our license system, the sa-
Icon is g. creation of law. The saloon
cannot exist without the sanction of the
! law. It needs, more than any other bust
ness in which men engage, the shelter
| and protection of the law. Because of
| the dangerous nature of the business
conducted by the saloon, business that
tends to arouse the worst passions of the
! human heart, civilized society in all
lands has found it imperatively neces-
sary to surround the business with
| wholesome restrictions and safeguards
It cannot be dealt with in the same man
ner as any ether line of trade, for in its
very nature it differs from all others.
| The city enters into a contract with
| the saloon. On the payment of a speci-
fed sum Of money as license tax a GER
| tain numller of men are permitted by
law to sell intoxicating liquors. In re-
turn for their compliance with the law,
the city is obliged to protect the rights
Of the saloonkeeper, not only his rights
| as a citizen, and as a man, but his vested
rights as a dispenser Of Intoxicating
| liquors. His business, by it's very ma
ture, has tendency to incite men to
lawie=sness more than any other kind
! Of business. 1t is a. business that needs
constantly the protection and support Of
+! the law If the city were to refuse to
protect the saloon against the assaults Of
| its patrons, degraded and dehased as
many Of them are by drink, the institu-
ton could not exist twenty-four hours.
| The saloon, therefore, should be the most
law abiding institution in the city.
| The instant the saloon violates its part
of the contract With the city, it's right to
exist ceases. Stringent laws have been
| enacted by both state and city in order
| to protect the rights Of the people
against the dangerous influence of the
saloon. 1t is a matter OF notoriety that
almost every law is constantly violated
In every city of the land by the saloon
element. It is equally notorious that
e11AS VtoA<sIAcAA VI 'AI0 ia" IL N'|'ArieeESIl'1J
winked at by city officials. The city OF
Minneapolis is protected by the very best
municipal code CT any city in the United
States. Tho high license tax restricts
the number of saloons. The "patrol
limit law keeps the saloon away from
residence districts and from the homes
Of the Poor. The law prohibiting the
Issuing CT more than one license to any
one person, makes it illegal for the big
brewer to own and control number of
saloons. The wise provision that in adj
dition to one thousand dollars for his Ii
cense, the applicant shall furnish bond
| in the sum of two thousand dollars, with
| two sureties, is intended as guaranty
| that the salconkeercr must adhere 20 his
part Of the contract. The prudent regu-
lation fcrbidding prostitutes, cor male
or female persons of evil fame Or name,
or of inlnacdest, immoral lewd or las
ciyious conduct or behavior Or Of dis
| honest conversation TO resort to, or fire.
quent, remain In, or be employed in a
Saloon" is evidently intended to mini
mize as far as possible the crime-breed-
ing influence Of the saloon.
nro,+ ~ +l,c,o 10 uro ho1unror hr,