The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-09-22

increasing and It lis the Will and the
determination Of a2the Democratic party
TINT the public schools shall have their
! fair share Of the gain. Tho party ls
committed to that proposition,
==--.--==.==..=..:-G-- Il II
Reform Saloons and Saloon
Reforms.
rho failure Of tho famous Subway
Tavern in Now York u few days ,ngo was
an occurrence which scarcely camo ns q
surprise to the close observer Of mes,
and affairs. DESPITE Its eplscopated origin
and It's wide fame thereby nccrung to
1t, this new principle saloon had in 1t
from, the start the seeds of economic
failure. 1t was doomed by simple, nut
Irresistible natural laws. The restraints
and the general atmosphere of reform"
that characterized It directly operated to
ruin It's uttractivcness. Tho men WHO might
otherwise have freatiented 1t, gradually
droppcd off to saloons where they might
cscapc the consciousness that somebody
or something was working to improve
them, and incidentally might drink as
much rs they wanted to. No saloon, be
II ever SO vlrtuous can exist without
customers, and tho time came when the
Subway Tavern had to put UP Its shutters.
This was an interesting experiment and
the country watched with no little
curiosity to SEQ how tfwould fare. Tho
Idea upon which 1t was founded, recog-
nlzing the saloons stronghold upon our
social organism, aimed to minimize It's
evils and Increase It's boneficcnt posi-
bilitics. Laudable as this was IN theory,
1t failed to go to tho heart Of the matter.
Sporadic and isolated attempts IN this
field are, Mt the very best, under formt-
dable handicaps. The saloon under any
sort of unaccystomed control, even the
wsest, finds an almost overwhelming
rival In the saloon under none. 1t would
seem that any system Of reform would
have to apply to all saloons or to none
OF them.
The liquor problem, In It's various as
poets. is one OF the most vital and far
reaching questions that confronts the
country to-day. It Is in addition highly
Interesting one. No doubt men Will con-
tlnuc TO drink SO long rs man and liquor
respectively, retain their present natures,
but the degree of their indulgence AT
least, would seem partially susceptible OF
~ For ey n1e ha
made easy and natural for mhn TO
drink more than is good for him. or more
than he would think of taking. but for
needlessly enhanced temptation.
The more that the temptations OF the
| saloon are weakened. the nearer we ar
| rive to d solution Of the problem.
When we are considering the fact that
men appear to be drawn to the saloons,
We are confronted with proposition con-
tanning Just two elements-the man and
the saloon, or more fully, the desires OF
the man and the attractions of the saloon,
That Is the very heart of the matter,
Elevate tho desires and remove the at
fractions, and you have no longer either
temptation or problem
Here is the situation with which the
committee of Fifty, comprising many of
the ablest thinkers In the country, mas
for twelve years been wrestling. The con-
illusions OF this committee are interesting
and to the point. Believing that the final
solution must lie In tho improved morality
and sobricty of the saloons best Gus
toners, thcy lay stress on the need for
better homes and plensanter environment
for tho poorer clusses. Reading and club
rooms, socities and cooperative restau-
rants would fill under non-saloon
| auspices, some OF tho needs which Mt
| present draw men to the saloons This
possibility, going hand IN hand, with n
| higher standard of living would bear
| strongly upon tho artisan to weaken his
| dependence upon the saloon,
SO much In ono direction. On tho other
| hand, in tho committees Wow, the saloon
Is 10 be- shorn OF Its nttractiveness by
leglslating away all profits from the sale
OF liquor. This Is a telling blow. Salary
the saloonkeeper and he has no longer
any interest IN stimulating sales, or max.
Ing his bar an attractive rendezvous, This
general principle may be applied IN one
o. several ways: IN England the Peo
pies Restaurant House Association allows
It's managers n profit OH all food and sof
drinks, but no profit on alcoholic drinks
LIN South Carolina. the State dispensar,
system substitutes public profit for prl
vatc, but this system has the serou
defect of applying It's dlspcnsary earning
10 the reduction Of the tax-rate, thus sun
plying q directive incentive to lncrens
consumption of liquor, In the opinion o
the committee, the system which contain
tho essence Of scientific modern llauo
legislation" Is the so-caled Norwegian
or company system, under which tho bar