Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-07-02

trade In more ways than one. Reform
In this respect Is Of the utmost impor
tance and the eradication Of this griev
Gus abuse now existing in connectlo,
with the retail trade of malt liquors he
comes absolutely Indispensable no
merely as an Immediate matter of dol
lars and cents, to Offset the incrcas,
or the cost Of beer and ale by the bar
rel. but as an effectual means of conn
teracting growing prejudice In IN,
public mind toward the saloon bust
ness. A more promising field for con
certcd and useful labor, or more need
ful work than is here offered. cannot be
found by the organizations of retoil
dealers throughout the country. M
tlOnal or local. The method to be
adopted should not be to raise the price
ana then continue the thrIftless Gus.
tom OF giving double or triple the aunn.
tlty asked and paid for, but to unite
the retail trade upon the far more bust.
ness-like habit Of charging a fair price
for fair measure.
| The reform Is essentially In the intcr.
est OF sobricty. as It does away with n
feature Of the business which un,lcpjo.
pIy tends to Increase the danger of
abuse inseparable from the drinking
habits OF the people. In this connpc.
ton we cannot refrain from uttcrIng n
word OF warning and pointing out tho
serious aspect under which the saloon
,, business has to confront questions and
conditions like the present. II must b.
evident to an observing mind that the
temperance agitation In this country
has OF late years changed its toctjcs.
After decades of failure to overcome
the conlmon-sensc conviction of tho
people. that a habit followed among
civilized nations the world over. from
generation to generation. by the great
mass Of the population who drink I'm
moderation las compared to the two I'm.
significant minOritics OF abusers and
abstnincrs). cannot be wrong In itself
temperance lenders have been com.
PEELED to look for n more vulnerable
point OF attack. AMI have directed their
aggressive policy against our typical
IiistttutiOn-the saloon. To express Il
graphically. II not elegantly. they do
not dwell 80 much on the slnfulness Of
linbibing alcoholic drinks. no matter
how moderately. rs they hold forth
against the crime Of pouring them Into
the neck Of the bottle, the glass. can
or pitcher. In our fashion. Their war.
cry now II. "thc saloon must CO." ana
they evidently meet with more practi.
cal sympathy and success In this new
doctrine than they did In the old one:
"YOu must abstain"
1t will answer no good purpose 10
smut tho eyes to the danger. and unless
the saloon interest Of the country
,inltcs In the persistent and earnest en-.
deavOr to check public prejudice, and
to cOunteract this systematic aggres.
sion by taking Arm stand In opposing,
~ much ~ may bc. all Objectionable
features OF the business (among which
this shiftless abuse In connection with
the can trade II one. and one Of the
chiefest-the prediction nowadays OF. |
ton heard that the saloon In doomed
may become less Of a fiction ami more
Of fact. II rests with the retail lin.
uor-dealcrs themselves to decide.
whether In future IN important part
OF their business. the sale OF malt lin. |
uOrs by measure. shall In n profitable |
or losing one: whether the conduct OF |
their business shall bc patterned after
that OF other legitimate lines Of trade.
or whether they will persist In follow.
Ing reckless business habits TINT do not
even deserve the name Of competition:
hnally, whether by the adoption Of the
only course dictated by both wisdom
anu policy on these points. they will
strive to overcome public prejudice and
gain for their business that recoyni.
ton az perfectly legitimate calling. to
which the popular demand for tho com
modifies they furnish clearly entities
them.
There nre, OF course. In this country
thousands OF well.cOnducta,l places, To
which tho structures here made do mo:
apply. hut the abuses mentioned arr Nd
widespread that there IL good reason
Tor addressing this appeal TO tho trade
~ general. the bOttling trade included.
liuinous competition In thar branch has
10 u great extent reduced profits 10 far
below u falr remuneration. ~ 70 ODen
inc door to the temptation Of cl,rapen.
ing the quality Of the goods ana lessen.
my the care needed In putting them az.
'h which the most satisfactory con,ll.
lion OF bottled ale ana beer NO much
depends.
Winning over the people Of this com.
n.y. OF all classes. to the habltuai con.
sumption OF fermented malt drinks, IL
he fundamental condition ON which
he permanent prosperity OF the brew.
ng Industry and the distributing trad,
'ests. II II more important aud more
desirable that more people should
rink more beer, thereby making II In I.
'eality here what II IL In other conn.
ries-not only "the peoples drink" ,
'ut the surest safeguard of national
oprlety. When the Government by
ne additional excessive tax levy on
ermented malt liquors pursues n
curse In direct opposition to such n ,
'oiicy' we are serving not only our own /
nj the peoples interest by pointing out
low ms menace to our business and .
the cause of temperance, In Its prac. {
lcai hearing. can best be mot. And Z
70 earnestly appeal to all concerned +,
Or support. =
HE UNITED STATES BREWERS
ASSOCIATION. !,