The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-19
THE DANGER OF FAIR BANK.
Rev. II. V. Hunter Endorses the Ser
mon of Mr.. MiIburn.

Rev. R. V. Hunter, in his sermon at the
Seventh Presbyterian Church, last night,
discussed the saloon question, concluding
as follows:
'In this connection 1 desire to commend
the stand taken last Sunday by Rev. j.
A. Milburn, of this city, with reference to
a resort known as Fair Bank, up on Fall
creek. Mr. Mulburn is right when he con-
dennis public drinking. He believes that
no man or woman OF refinement should
give recognition to a place of this kind l
would go further and say that no man or
woman who pretends to be either good
citizen or Christian ought to give recog-
milton to a place of this kind. Mark this;
The promoter of Fair Bank SO l am IN
formed by the newspapers and some who
ought to know, is gambler and saloon
keeper. Again, intoxicating liquor is sold
there to those who have the money with
which to pay for it.
MANY young people become bewildered
with the music, the beauty of the place.
the gay surroundings and are led to take
their first drink. The curse of the thing
will be more manifest five, ten or twenty
years from now in the crop of drunkards
that were started on their downward
course at Fair Bank. They claim to keep
Germ the lowest, the poorest or the very
drunk in a few instances. But these are
not one half SO dangerous to the young
and thoughtless as the sober, Well-dressed
and designing libertlne.
Mr. Milburn was wise when he said, 1t
is idle TO answer here that this kind of
thing is cosmopolitan-tha 1t Is done
abroad that beer gardens are common IN
Europe Why should we corrupt our youth
and raise a generation OF drunkards be-
cause they may do so in Europe. Our lore
f.ath 1aff n
escape certain sins common there No true
American is anxious to EuropeanlZe this
country. The immodest assurance or some
few foreigners Who insist upon DONG mere
as they did abroad or worse, is not accept
able to Americans. The intelligent, the bet
fer partand ] believe the larger part, of our
foreign citizenship recognizes the fact that
America stands for something dlIerent
from what they have been accustomed TO
abroad. All intelligent friends of American
institutions, of Vlrtuous and SOBER race
of people will eschew the beer garden and
the public drinking houses. / call upon the
Christian and moral citizens of our falr
city to avoid the glare and glitter of all
such institutions as Fair Bank. 1t is the
golden mouth of desolating and murder
Gus monster. The public drinking house is
becoming more and more common in the
cities People who, a few years ago, would
have deemed it an improperly, If not a
wicked thing, to associate with the habitueS
of these places have come to deem it quite
the thing the fad. This is plainly a letting
down of refinement and moral sentiment.
eign nat ms? Especially when our people
have teI lperaments more nervous and less
able to withstand the encroachments and
devouring appetite for strong drink.
There is no middle ground to occupy in
this business. The tendency of public
drinking in this country is TO immodesty,
immortality and degeneracy. have been
informed by those who are in a position
to know that it is no uncommon thing for
young men and women TO be taken home
from these drinking places, both private
and public, in a maudlin state of intoxica-
ton. I do not know what the police can
do to restrain them. But L do know that
when public sentiment becomes burning hot
against such debauching institutions they
will go TO the wall 1t will not do for the
lovers Of strong drink to plead for personal
liberty in this matter and cite the old
world If such people prefer personal lib
erty of the old world let them embark
upon the next outgoing vessel. America
stands for order, decency education NOR
ais, sobriety-an advancing civilization.
Every one knows that drink is ruinous to
all of these. We who love our Nation and
desire to help our fellow-men TO rise in
life ought TO be total abstainers ourselves
and seek to repress such influences as will
lead others into customs ruinOus TO health
happiness prosperity, virtue, honesty and
morality.