The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-04-16
THE OBJECTIONABLE SALOON.

The work Of the City Missionary So
ciety cannot but commend itself in
creasingly to all citizens who nave n
love Of humanity. The Organization
has wide and fertile field in which |
to work and there viii always be
those who will continue to bellate that
the start should be made at ones own
doorstep in missionary matters the
same as with the present wholesale
cleaning-up Of the backwards and va
cant lots under the auspices of the
Associated Civic Societies. For these
the work of foreign missions has no
such Imperative call as has that of
home missions, or home missions as
has that OF city missions
The last three years have seen new
and important line OF activities open
ed up to the city Missionary Society.
II is in connection with the liquor
traffic Of the city. Its work IN this
special direction may well be looked
upon as worthy by every law abiding
citizen, whether he be an advocate of
license or no license, of liquor traffic
or no liquor traffic. Tho reason for
this is easy to see, No matter how
many arguments the city missionaries
may make for the abolition ~ the sa-
loon as a menace to the public welfare
in their daily work among the poorer
classes of New Haven, still they real
ize that they are in the minority in the
question Of doing away with Il and
that the majority of the citizens of the
city have voted for license. Conse-
quently they have limited heir actlvi-
ties to a strict enforcement If the
existing liquor law. which provides
that the county commissioners may
refuse to issue a license Whenever they
become convinced that the proprietor
or the location are unit for The bust
ness.
Along Just that line does he socie-
ty appeal to the public for its sup
port and It would seem as " even sa
loonkecpers. if they are upright, can
not but commend the work. With a
population Of $4,000 odd, New Haven
| has over 400 saloons. In M1sslchus-
etts the law says there shall only be
one saloon for every thousand pf pop
ulation. on the same conditions New
Haven would have something LIKE t25
saloons and, deductlng from that
number those that handle liquor AS
/ drug stores or wholesale houses. the
number would approach the 100 mark
and call for a reduction of three In
every four. Perhaps that would be
asking for too much. But II Is OBJ
vious that in certain sections ~ the
city. notably in the Crown street and
the State street districts. in both of
which there are over fifteen saloons
within very limited area, abnormal
conditions exist It would seam that
the city Missionary Society IS not too
radical when II makes formal OBJ
lection to any additional saloon which
asks for a license to begin business in
either of these already oversrowded
districts, or in any other districts of
a like nature, or even to object to a
renewal of many Of these licenses
when the proper time comes Tor It.
The commissioners have taken n
judicial view of their methods of pro-
cedure, which Is not wholly censur-
able. They say that a saloonkcaper Is
innocent until proved guilty; that the
burden of proof that he and the To-
cation arc both suitable Is not ipr him
to prove, but that they are not quit
able lies in the province Of some pos
sible obiector to assere and 20 prove.
in some few instances certain private
parties, notably ministers, have taken
II into their own hands to make for
NAL objections to the issuing Of IL
censes, but it Is perfectly apparent
that to accomplish satisfactory results
, The work must be gone into syst lmatl-
cally. The city Missionary Society
has tried to do Just that. IT has tried
to be conservative reasonable, just
and dignifed in the matter, respecting
the rights Of others under the law
It realizes that the saloon Is great
political power and as such It is no tri'
vial foe to contend with But 1t Is no.
as the foe to the saloon, but as the foe
to the bad saloon, run by an ,nprinci
pied man in an Objectionable locality
that the society appeals to The public
for support and encouragement. |
should have It, The work Is as vital tc
the existence Of the civic health anc
prosperity as any that has lyer beer
undertaken. Let the good work e
on.