The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-11-04
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF INTEMPERANcE.

why the Side Door of the Saloon Has
- Opened the Way TO the Downward PATH
For Women-vIgorous Expressions on
the Subject by Mrs. Edwin Knowles. /
Unquestionably the greatest evil that
men-ces our national life to-day is drunk
'nness among women. Enough has been
I'd IN both light and serious vein aboub
the practice OF "genteel tipping" by wo-
men OF the so-called upper classes, and 6
shall refer to them only incidentally. OF
lar greater import is the increase in drink
lnG by women in humble circumstances,
the wives of Woodworking mechanics. the
mothers OF large families. 1t is of far
greater import, because these women arc
OF the plain people" and there are more
plaln people than any other sort. So
long as they are sober industrious and
'irtuous 1t makes little difference if they
give dinners to monkeys at Newport or
how many cases of champagne are con-
sumed at pink teas on Fifth avenue.
with these women opportunity means
great deal. In some respects the word
opportunity is the biggest in the English
language; But 1t has an added signii-
cance when it clears the way for these
women to become habitual drinkers. And
the side door OF the saloon leading to
wine rooms for women chen coops' L
call them-s just another definition of the
word opportunity. The side door of tho
ediOOh has opened tDe way TO the down.
ward path for more women in humble cir
cumstances than all other avenues COM
bined. The poor creatures think they
need stimulant Possibly they do But
| doubt whether they would resort to
hamor II 1t were not for that side door.
=. These women would not think of going
in the front door of the saloon. 1t would
not he considered respectable, and they
still retain certain amount of pride az
to their standing among their acquain-
tances. Even the bartender who serves
drinks in the wine room would he most
righteously shocked il they were to como
un to the bar and ask for their liquor.
They could not go into the swell cafes
where their more wealthy sisters sip their
cocktails and highballs. They would not
be. admitted. Trust. the waters in the
cafes for being good judges of wardrobes.
SO they 20 to the side door Of the saloon,
which always stands invitingly open from
long before sunrise until long after most
honest people are abed.
Thus the side door is the main oppor-
tunity for women. II is the women's
annex to the saloon. It is there for no
other purpose. When man wants
drink he goes in the front door. With
him there is no necessity for conccalment
unless it is on Sunday or after closing
hours at night. Then his skulking is for
the purpose Of protecting the saloonkeep.
er. not himself.
The question might not he 20 serious il
the women of the poorer classes were NOT
SO serious about their drinking Your so
ciety woman is not nearly so liable to be.
come an inehriate. She starts to drink.
ing because she thinks it smart She may
grow to like it. but, after all, drinking is
largely an incident with her. The "dip.
somaniac'-such an euphemistic terml--
is the execution. If she becomes n real
herself. She may injure her reputation,
but that Is easily repaired. She has no
family dependent on her work no chill
dren crying for her attention. and she
never loses herself to such an extent that
she negccts her lapdog.
Radical stems should he taken with the
saloon side door. 1t is the gateway tn
damnation for women. If it il not feasi-
bic to force saloonkeepers to pay an extra
license for this accessory. close it up. 1t
Is running the homes of neopIe who ap-
precate homes. Home life neaus every.
thing to the poor reop'e. Their amuse-
ments are largely OF the fresidc variety.
A trim to the theatre s an event, not
nightly occurrence until they get bored
to death; They don't 60 out to dinners
or attend balls.
The women come in closer contact with
their children. They have no rursemaids
to look after their little ones What can
be the effect upon the younger genera
tion, when the mothers get drunk? A
mother in the police court answering to
the charge Of irtoxcation! What a spec
tacle for a child!
If vou want to stop nne.tcnths Of the
among women, who are the
wives of workngmen. close the side door
that admits them to the "hen coops" In
that way YOU remove the opportunity and
lessen the temptation. I am not san
guine enough to believe that such step
would reform all Of them, but believe
il will beat all the temperance lectures
that can be delivered and all the pledges
that can be signed Mrs. Edwin Knowles,
in the New York Press