The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-02-14
SALoONOLGY.
Some Deductions from G careful study
of the saloon Problem by
College student


study of the saloon business in all
of its relations be called entomology?
But call it what you may-and saloon
under any name does not smell sweet
such study was carried on by Mr..
Royal L. Melendy, who was sent by
the faculty of the University of Mich
| igan to reside for six months in the
| Chicago Commons to learn by careful
personal investigation what is the
| function of the saloon in the social
i life of man. This investigation forms
| part of the work carried on by the
ethical subcommittee of the commit
| tee of so, a committee which is now
! studying the liquor problem in all of
its aspects, with the intention of MAX
ing an exhaustive report which shall
| be impartial and scientific. A par
tial report of Mr.. Melendy's investi-
cations appears in the American Jour
nal of Sociology for November, and
a somewhat briefer report is given
in the November number of The Com
mons, published by Prof Graham Tay-
Tor, warden of the Chicago Commons.
III oIdChl nee IClOIllltT
may feel inclined to say: what
need is there of making such an in
vestigation? Why need we send scien-
tifically equipped spies into this I'M
promising land. this devil-country of
saloons, for we know now what is the
ruling purpose of the saloon business?
It's purpose is evil, and only evil. and
hof "a = -.
kinds of Intoxicating liquor, and in
toXicating liquor is the hell out of
which has come to curse mankind, a
legion of evils worse than the many
which Jesus cast out of the demoniac
of Gadeara.'
But the matter is not so simple as
| it appears at the first blush What
is it that makes the saloons of the
| Seventeenth ward-where Mr.. Melen-
dy began his study so popular?
There are in that ward 1863 saloons
and only a few churches. Say what
we may, the saloon is much more pop
ular than the church in the Seven
teenth ward and we should strive
to discover what are the elements
OF their popularity. for we may find
in the methods which they use to at
| tract patrons a verification of Christ's
saying: For the sons of this world
are for their own generation wiser
than the sons of light" No doubt
the ruling purpose of the saloon keep
er is to sell as many drinks" as pos
sible. but he tries to cloak that pur-
pose by an attractive garb of social
service.
BY ministering to the social nature
of man the saloon completes with the
home, greatly to the detriment of So
ciety. 1t no doubt is true that the av-
erage saloon of the Seventeenth ward
is dangerous social competitor to
the average home of that ward in
light, heat, furniture, games. music,
laughter, sprightly conversation and
all that appeals to the companionable
nature of man; and by the bitter
irony of fate every cent that goes to
the support of the saloon is a vote
against the home and against the wife
| and mother, who would like to make
the home attractive, but how can she
do it when so much money of the
wage-earners goes to the support of
the 1913 saloons? The saloons can
start out with gorgeous appointments
because most of them are fitted I'D
by the great brewing companies, but
the little home of the working man
has to start in modest way. and too
often, alas! the wife in striving to
make it, with small means, the CEN
ter of social attraction for her hus-
band is held up" and robbed by the
saloon.
Some saloons provide gymnasiuns,
hand-ball courts, and baths for their
patrons. Others have music and
vaudeville performances. Many sa-
looms furnish free lunches, and some
serve full meals at small cost. Others
have wine rooms" and drinking COM
partments where women of the worst
class resort to find companions in sin.
In others, various kinds of gambling
games are carried on under the pro-
lection of an unreported tax" The
saloon is a place where attractive
'iSSS VI S'ChJ 1CalHcl HUN 10
gether.
But in the better parts of the city
there are respectable" saloons, some
of them palatial in their appoint
ments, where business men resort for
double purpose. Mr.. Melendy says:
''The head of a department in one of
Chicagos largest wholesale houses as
sures me that certain of their best
statesmen sell large portion of their
goods over a glass of beer in the
neighboring saloon" Then there are
trade saloons for the men of this or
that craft, family" saloons with
family entrances, beer gardens with
the attractions of music and out
door sports-all sorts of saloons which
| appeal in all sorts of ways to all sorts
of people.
The cure? Not to speak in this
connection of legal repression and
moral and spiritual forces the at
fractions of the saloon may be fought
with a good degree of success by
counter attractions. The attractions
of the home are first and best. We're
our homes all that they should be the
saloons would have to close their
doors. In tug of war" for the pos
| session IF man tho &C 1nopc boya t;t+1a