The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-24

SCOTT BOVINE, chemists, new YORK
ton. The claim is made that these
can't be suppressed by the present
law. 1t is all wrong. There Is enough
law and discretionary power vested in
the machinery of Lackawanna county
and Scranton to wipe out ninety-nine
hundredths of all the vice. crime and
immortality in the district.
Where. then, is the fault? Not in
the legislative, but in the executive
branch of the law power.
For instance: In the face of all facts
the constahles come at periodical times
and swear to the mOnStrous falseboud
that no lawbreaking by licensed
saloons exists in their district, and
that to the best of their knowledge
there are no ''tippling houses" or
'spcakeasies" The judges, who are
men of intelligence and acumen, re-
ceivc these periodical perjuries in spite
of the law, which says that IF a con-
stable wilfully or negligently Omits to
report any such places that they are
compelled to take notice of such negli-
genCo or omission"
CANNOT CONVICT.
This is not all When good, repu-
table citizens undertake to collect evil
dcnce and prove the facts, the cases
are either ignored by the grand jury
or n mot guilty" verdict given by the
petit jury, and. most of all, the prose-
Cutor is asked to pay the costs for
doing the COnStables and court S
duties. Now, any one who has lived
here one week and keeps his eyes and
ears open would he able to collect
enough evidence to close eight out of
every ten saloons in the city. And
from all evidence gathered, only two of
all the number in this city attempt to
keep the law.
This same law is in existence all over
our state, and in Han isburg, where
you can scarcely buy a cigar, Mayor
Fritchey writes, 1--WE only enforced
the law" Mayor Ashbridse, of Phila-
delphia, through his head Of the Bureau
of Safety, writes: philadelphia is
made dry by a strict enforcement Of
the present law, and if the law is not
kept you need only apply to the court
Tor revocation of their license" I'm
aglne the effect of such a demand in
LackaWanna county court house.
The liquor men excuse themselves by
pointing to the "speakeasies." But if
the licensed men would determine 10
Keep the law, then combine for action,
their boast that they run the city
would bear fruit in the wiping out of
all this disastrous competition.
or the fostering sores of public and
private immortality we want to have
little to say.
But the greatest evil of all, after the
liquor traffic, immortality, indecent
shows and posters, comes the complete
Sahhath desecration. 1t is explained"
ana condoned in many ways. but the
only explanation that can be given is
TINS: All the evils noted are Cumula-
tive and the culrnination is the utter
disregard of all that is sacred and holy.
The church is wholly thrown aside.
or else made a mere vehicle to convey
paid souls to heaven.
DEBAUCHERY AND DEGRADA-
TION.
Giving the whole week TO husinrss
and pleasure, the desire is rooted too
ueep to refrain from it on Sunday. It
rs rather day for more complete de-
bauch or degradation. Our saloons run
wide open. Our "demi-monde" thrives
most on Saturday and Sunday. our
thousands of "SpeakeaSieS" are crowd
ed. We allow ball games and foot ball
ana dances. We demand a double ser,
wee ON street cars. and fill our homes
with Sunday trash called newspapers.
We have no sabbath. And vet we
pray, Tor all these merCies, O Lord,
make us thankful"
Now the cure. When a member
of the Old Guard was under the sur
egon's knife he said, Cut a little deeper
and you will find the emperor" So in
the case OF scranton, we must cut deep.
IL is a cancer of no recent growth. It's
roots are deep and strong, and like a
cancer they must be cut out one by
one. or they will soon assume grave
ana deadly proportions again
1t seems the remedy must come from
the young men, for our fathers have
drifted so long with the tide that the
iotsam and jetsam have fixed them
selves upon them and they seem loath
to shake it off
Are the better elements of the town
the self-respecting and religious ele-
ments, the lovers of true American life
and customs, going to allow the small
minority of Satan's agents to discard
all their claims for recognition and re-
spect?
who builds the city? Does the family,
the school, the church? Do the edu-
CatiOnal unions or associations. the
libraries, the manufacturers, the indus
tries? Do good social relations, and
clean individual lives. and pure and
noble family histories? Do gentle
manly men and wOmanly women?
or, in opposition to this. is the city
built up by the saloon, the gambling
den, the brothel. the freethinkers' club,
the dance house, the pool room, the
Sunday amusements, the ballets, the
indecent literature posters and shows"
UNITE AND WORK.
What must you do then? Open your
mouths and speak; get on your feet
and work; unite. combine, form trusts
anything to boom the stock of good
things and drive the other stock off the
market. Arise, put on thy strength,
O arm of the Lord" and in His
strength go forth to fight the battles
of Israel, which is your city.
Let us look, then. in resume. The
city is corrupt, vile. wicked, the many
are governed by the few, the laws are
broken, the officers defied Do we want
1t continued? No. Let us cry, From
thy tents, o Israel, give us our pure
gospel, give us pure moral and social
atmosphere, give US good law and law
executors, give us law-abiding men in
legitimate trade, give us untainted
youth. good schools. pure family ties,
| a higher reverence for Sunday, the
church, the Bible and God"
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