The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-29
THE QUESTION. OF DRTyh.
Medical Opinion on Liquor Saloons and
Their Social Influence.

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From tie Medical Record.
At the present time. owing to a discussion Ia.
tween several prominent divinos-in which
THE New IoRK Sun has taken a vigorous part
with regard to the desirahility Of liQnor
saloons from the workingman's outlook. thu
question may be said to he decidedly on thu
flow. The worGy tilt at arms originated from
some apparently incautious phrases used BY
Bishop Potter in describing the said saloon,
when speaking at the Waldorf-Asto a few
days ago. The Bishop proclaimed as his opinion
that to the workinEman the liquor saloon is a
social" necessity. and went on to dasignatei,
the "poorman's club which satisfies his rec.
reative instinct" These expressions brought
forth n strong protest from the lips of Fathe.
Doyle. a well-known champion of Temperance,
who. taking upon himselfthe position Of spokas.
man for the toi!er. denounced the Bishops as.
sertion in no measured terms.
1t certainly seems to us that Father Doylas
language was justified. The argument that
liquor saloons are a social necessity" 10 tie
poor man. or. indeed. to any one. is too snecDou'
to hold water. At any rate. in this country
there is but little of the poor mans club"
pertaining to them. OF course. the meaning
Bishop Potter intended to convey by his words
was that the workingman when he nee1ed
recreation had no resort answering in purpose
to the rich mans club. But it must be con.
fcsSoG that in declaring tho liquor saloon
be to the poor man what his club is to the Trh
man. he displayed n leplorahle lack OF know.
edge OF the manner in which the vendors o.
intoXicantS manage their business. At ~
best the liquor saloon is but a sorry make
shift when recreation is the Object. and
tho instruction a w~orkinEnan is Likely
to gain in it is scarcely calculated 70
elevate or improve his mind. So long AS he
has money aud will spend il with a.acrI'f li
company is welcome. but when his pockets ara
empty his society ia no longer regarded with
favor by the proprietor. As THE SUN aptlv puts
the case, the saloon keeper is not a man Of sen.
t%,n"nt. hut invariably keeps his eye on m" man
chance. This being SO. the question must b"
ttmistic and imaginative point OF view. tn"
truth i that the liquor saloon in America I;
mn5 1--WE a r 100 .mnm,s cl u aR,ase in wi, w,Ir ns ~
tut Simply and solely n house for the Saleoi
sttonE drinks at a large profit to the pro-
If the liquor saloon does satisfy the wors.
inEman'S, ,recreaiive instinct all We Gan "a!
Is mat II he does not POSSESS, the hiblIoas
instinct we are sorry for the Intelligence %, We
worhingman. Tho great majority mf mHIlra,
men nowadays are quite agreed that alone.
does no good to Il healthy man. ana. taxing
into consideration the inralculabie amount Q.
harm hat has been wrought by lis aGencG NJ
best that the matter should he Judged on rs
should be warned Of their danger. j. + rIghs
aud Just that the workingmau should "a
genial society which the rich man enjoys. hW'
he must not look for it in the liquor saloon
from a consideration Of III" social SIDE %: tos
saloon question to that of the abuse oi inDhls
bat q step. Where. then, j. the rnm"dy 'ote
sought in order to abolish or counterfeit an eyi
winch Is Il, En9wlcdEed on al! sides +" lr WIZ.
HlIrhh ana extremely ern,cioust I,"iMls7no
Jaws hay" been tried, but thai 'hes" have '''a
~ any means universally successful "a. la.1t
Ge NJ eyed with absolute yeracitt by Their mo-!
DEVOTED upholdcrs. Besides. m some ~rountr,t,;
hlhdllIg measures strictly 10 control the Sae"s
sentiments Of tho imhabitant-, These laws
are there regarded 4, an "nrrrathmneni W.
t thS, iinrtiy "L a free neoiI' th" and
should be treated as such i, ia" on" most GER
orally hrl,d in these daNs. llr. N"'mn h"..
t t"I o ssys En"!Y5M c hFiyiiiih 9 Az Ga &r ~, ,a as scl
hay" successfully dealt with III" mHoB.,t
pr0wn mIt on MN rs a hnrarncI crim,"'r ob,.. /
chl agency which has crushed u earn -'hf.
IN" nobirSt and most gifted. .,Tr",i nm I5.
latent laborinG under 2, hanlimg ant lM'~.
m"Rts. such n measure OF Success VIII i"iii."a
your true rurativ" treatment "a, Wi. E,l|i"'VUrr
skill ms physician-.'
Ioilowing IL these lines al, IrchrIa's' oTci |
rinIe into force on Jan, "f his yrl.. , s,ns
iual hnhitunl drunkards who co.'s Irlt -'m'
grave offence az" placed ~ stat" in'1i'h r,,"".
formatories, HaLituul drunkart, VIZ na'i
nit some petty offence arr detained ~ r.lfly
inehriate ~rc!orm0tories.. where they a.~ ,%si
as in the case Of tho former r.a-~, irnii,,
hs l%eIous. bat merely undergo q "9Ean'
treatment. Bob the stat met rini" r'9.Ha;
tories and the certified lllobriGlc rotor, "y,,s
VIII he maintained M the CXp"G"" "' 'h"H
or the. local authorities. ihiS rNlr'lN,H; !
whirh is certainly II forward movements. III
Watched with intcuS" interest 80 tn r"un,5..
Tho news, too. comes from Russia lnE' rN.,,..
lent results have been obtained hF th'lr ~,
mem OF in"hrintes in sfe"al huir.'- IA
gnnc,,lsi"n has been REACHED that 4 l. '"' ''
lhtnlllEent TREATMENT Of drMMknrl..