The Irish standard., 1897-03-20


contentious would never have been ut
tered, were it not for the dangerous
power, which at least is supposed to be
welded by the saloon and criminal ele-
ment, in the city. 1t is commonly sup
posed that the saloon can make aud UNI
make mayors and common councils,
therefore. according to the logic Of
practical politics In city affairs, due de-
ference must be shown to the powerful
forces In control Of the ballot, regardless
CT the rights Of the people, regardless Of
official oaths, regardless Of the laws OF
the state and the ordinances of the city,
of the city's welfare and good name.
Many saloons Of the city are equipped
with stalls" or wine rooms" in which
contrary TO all law, in violation Of the
ordinary code Of common decency, young
girls, we'll known to be under age, are
supplied with Intoxicating liquor, and
prepared for lives OF debauchery and
shame. Dance halls are permitted to en-
tice young boys and girls to form most
dangerous acquaintances, to meet i'm
moral characters, in direct communion
ton with the saloon, are in fact, feed
ers to the wine rooms" Of such places.
These disgraceful facts are well known.
They are no secret among the newspaper
reporters OF the city. They are better
known by the patrolmen on their re-
spective "beats' than by any one else.
When we endeavor, however, to arouse
public attention to a few of these intol-
cradle grievances, we are severely cen
sured for not aiding the city authorities
in bringing to just punishment trans
gressors Of the law, when the city au-
thorities are better informed about all
these disgusting conditions than any one
else
We do not expect the millennium yet.
We do not look for perfection in the ad-
ministration of city affairs We do not
believe it possible to prevent Or to pun
ish every violation of law. But our love
for free institutions, for "a government
of the people, by the people and for the
people," inspires us with the hope, that
in order to serve the best interests OF the
people, it is not necessary to be SO solic-
itous about the forfeited rights Of saloon
keepers, or considerable of the tender
feelings Of the criminal CLASSES. No
mans rights are invaded when he is
compelled to submit to the penalty pro-
vided for his willful violation of law. II
the law be unconstitutional or unjust, he
has his remedy for the redress Of his
grievances in the courts of the land. No
man has yet been found who centers
within himself such rich fund of wis
dom, OF prudence, Of knowledge, of forth
tude and of justice, as to be capable, even
when mayor of a city, of deciding, both
as judge and jury, as Legislature and peo-
ple, whether certain laws should be en-
forced, and others, equally binding, be
ignored. It will hs time enough for the
cities Of the United States to adopt that
despotic system of one-man power, in
the execution Of their laws, when they
have fallen into state of civic imbe-
cility, when the body polite has become
atrophied, because of the failure Of pop
ular government and we return to Estate
of savagery, in which law is simply "a
painted king"
It is not only an insult to the inte1h-
renee Of the people, but it Is equally in
sufferable impertinence on the part OF
public servant of the people, to presume
to offer as an explanation of his failure
to perform duties, which he has taken a
solemn cath to perform, that evils
equally as great or greater would ensue,
If he were true to his official cath. Such
an assumption is bald evasion of the
question at issue. The people have
right to insist that existing laws be en-
forced. No servant of the people has any
right to resist this just demand. Munich
pal government Will be a disgraceful
failure unless the people, the law abiding
people, the better element in our social
life. stubbornly insist upon the enforce
mant Of the law.
Serious mistakes have been made in
chasing the 'tsocial evil'' with the sa-
loon. While they are somewhat allied, I
admit, and the brothel could scarcely ex-
list without the saloon, yet there Is wide
difference between them. It is not an
evil in itself to sell intoxicating drink.
It is not sin in itself to drink intoxi-
eating liquor. The sin and evil come
forth when excess begins. Not so, how
ever, with the infamous business Of min
istering to lasciviousness. It is always,
under all circumstances, a sin and an
denomination before God and man. The
most that municipalities can do with 1t,
is to make it as odious as possible, and
to surround the loathsone thing with
every possible difficulty, and to protect
the young and inexperienced from it's
snares. Nature herself has provided that
in regard to this vice, the way OF the
transgressor shall be hard. The punish
ment visited by nature herself on the
yetaries of lubricity is a warning and an
example to all that in our municipal
legislation every possible barrier should
I.o aisad tn resist it.