The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-02-08
A TEMPERANCE SALOON.

The saloon exists not only because
some men drink but because all men
have social instincts. Saloons in their
way are clubs. They offer a conVersa-
tional exchange, seats and tables, cards
bright lights, periodicals, various 40
mesttc conveniences, something TO eat
and drink Men whose homes are lone
some or squalid and who cannot or 90
not care to move in good society go 10
the saloons to take their ease and meet
their friends. They can go in any
clothes they have; they are not asked
to show credentials; they may stay ana
enjoy themselves so long as they pc
have and while the saloon keeps OPEN
The place gives them what some men
get in fashionable clubs or in their
homes or in visiting the homes OF other
people, without such resorts or sats-
factory substitutes for them, these men
would become almost desperate in their
loneliness and discomfort,
Now If it were possible to abolish the
saloons II would be the bounden duty
of temperance reformers to set up poor
mems clubs to meet the demand whlch
the social side of the saloon supplies.
1t would never do to put out all the
light and cheer in the rum shops ana
beer halls and provide no other light
and cheer for the men who had been
turned into the street. From the closed
door of the saloon a customer must ne
able to turn to the open door OF some
resort which lacks none of the elements
of comfort. save the one attraction OF al
cohol. to which he has been accustomed
Otherwise he will sooner or later re-
establish the saloon or go to worse
place.
OF course this is an old story. The
answer we hear is that temperance sa-
looms or holly tree inns have been
opened time and again and closed for
lack of support and this even in small
places where it has been possible TO
shut up the saloons. The remedy we
are told. has been tried and found
wanting. But. we reioin, has II peeh
tried in the right way? Has there ever
been an attempt to reproduce the saloon
in all its details except the sale OF al
coholic drinks? If there has been we
do not know of the circumstance
Some years ago in a central New
York town the churches established a
holly tree inn to which they hoped to
attract men from the drink taVerns'
So much money was subscribed that
they were able to fit the place up
, beautifully and sell food and soothing
vi 49,, oo,eoo VOC three
~ .e ~ aa,ro,,. 90 hircb baer
''s ~ -, f,, ,,,,,my
-, oa,,,a o,a locked ir
M the windows ana went nopeiessry
and axpeditiously away and those whr
entered the Mace at all were good souls
from the churches who wanted to helm
the inn along. What the saloon fire.
ouenter saw to displease him was a
dining hall with snowy cloths and
plated ware on the tables, a pretty car
net a canary bird in a cage, a girl at
the nav desk and a committee of ladies
to welcome him as a brand snatched
from the burning. man accustomed
IN the free and easy saloon would as
soon have entered such n Mace as he
wou,d n church sociable
In time the philanthropists reconsid-
cred They took ont the napery and
.ilverware removed the CARPET, evict-
ed the canary and told the women Ia
ouit In wayne way they made the
nl.oa loci, like an unfurnished bar
room one practicoI man proposed to
nit in n cigar stand and n regular bar.
the latter for the sale of soft drinks.
Of course but the good women denounc-
ed the impious act and crushed 1t un-
dor tbair French heels Tobacco they
said induces the craving for drink, a
bar might be "misconstrued." TIVE
practical reformer intended to suggest
a card room but he held his peace and
quietly got a billiard table instead. The
place was put in charge of nice young
man from the Y. NJ c. A.. who ar
ranged IT lust ms he thought a temper
ance saloon ought to look. The bottled
pop. innocent Of Ice. was nut on table
in the corner Young and yealy boys
were encouraged to come in and use the
bnliard table. a bacI; verandu WAS set
opart for men Who wanted 10 smoke
the saloon took the books of a travelling
library ana it's center table. was covered
with The most unlmpeachablc Iitera-
tire a Good Night papa" engraving
was hung ON one wall and "Mabels
PRAYER" In IN. other To tho astonish-