Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1900-03-01
SPECIAL SERVICES.
Rev. $. w. Beach In the First. Presbyterian
Church Talks the Matter of LII
cnse or No License.

The congregation of the First Presby-
terian Church, listened to an excellent
sermon Sunday, on the question, 'Li-
csnse or no License" by the pastor, Rev
Rev s. w. Beach.
Habakkuk Q; IL. "Woe to him that
buildeth a town with blood, and estab-
lisheth city by iniquity."
The prophet Habakkuk was one of the
purest classic writers of the old tesla
ment. His mission was to warn the
people of the judgement that were in
store for them, for their sins-not only
the people of the tribes of Judah and of
Benjamin, but the Chaldeans as we'll, and
it is my object to night to accommodate
these words of warning thought under
different circumstances, to the conditions
existing in our own city to-day. Let me
say at the outset, that there has been in
the history of our city, much on which
we can congratulate ourselves, and which
has distinguished us from other cities of
similar size and character. This religious
and moral tone of our city is high. We
have more than twenty churches in
Bridgeton, at the present time-one
church about, for every six hundred in
habitants. We have schools of high
order, taught by Christian men and wo-
men, whose influence is wholly for good.
We have institutions that administer the
various charities, syste matically and
effectively so that suffering and distress
of all kinds, receive prompt aid, and the
temporal and bodily wants of the poor
and needy, are carefully looked after. In
very few cities is this done so we'll as in
Bridgeton. We have also high plane of
social life, a high order of intelligence,
and if compared again with other cities,
OF quite exceptional character. All this
however, is upon the surface, but there
are things beneath the surface, so to
speak, that are not so much in our favor.
1t has fallen to me during the past few
weeks to look over the criminal dockets
of our local court during the past twenty
years, and they reveal large increase in
the amount of crime committed in our
county in general-an increase amount
ing to more than fifty per cent. 1t may
be said that this is due to a growth in
public sentiment against crimes, which
has led to more vigorous enforcement
of the law, and consequently an apparent
increase in the total amount of crime
This may or may not be so, but it seems
to me that upon the face of it, it indicates
and of crimes that grow out of the freer
use of intoxicating drinks.
During the last fifteen years, with the
exception of the years 1928, when the
excise commission was in existence, we
have had no licensed houses for the sale
of liquors, but during this period, even
those least familiar with existing con-
sprung up numerous social clubs, where
liquor is openly sold, or if not sold, is
dispensed in some form, to the members
and invited guests of the organizations
1t is low estimate to say that there are
fifteen places of this character where in
toxicants- are sold, or can be procured
under conditions that make them practi-
caily nothing less than saloons.
A prominent lawyer of this city, of
high character and full knowledge of
the facts of the case, told me within few
days, that he knew of one place, that
within short time has been obliged to
close its doors and disband, where two
different invoices of beer, thirty eight
crates in each, has been sold to its mem
bers and their friends, in single day
Saturday-and that the commission or
profit on which, amounted to more than
$50 The steward was fined $3.50 by the
courts; the sales, according to the above
rate, being sufficient to make up the
amount of his fine in five days.
| cite this to show that this has been a
condition of affairs, that should awaken
law abiding citizens, and rouse them to
the necessity and importance of doing
something to stay the progress of this
gigantic tide of evil, crime and inn
morality.
What is the remedy? Some have pre-
posed as partial remedy, that We return
to the old regime-license a few places
that shall be under strict police surveil
lance, and this they tell us will result in
wiping out the resorts where liquor is
sold. But is not the remedy worse than
the disease, and what assurance is there,
that such measure would result in wip-
ing out the clubs and speak -easies, so
called?
What is the saloon, and how was it
evolved? 1t began originally in the
house when people at first kept their
liquors for themselves and friends. Then
came the coutry inn, when neighbors
and friends met in friendly and social
intercourse. The city saloon, which was
at first neither licensed or taxed, soon
however, it became source of evil; filled
the prisons with criminals, and the
asylums with the Insane. The welfare
ofsociety demanded that it be taxed, and
thus came the license system. The saloon
is an evil and only an evil, viewed from
any standpoint. No argument can justify
its existance; no conditions nor circum-
Sfopoo0 obnuId t01aroto ifo ox;stooao