Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-02

of men. Otherwise the saloon as an
institution could not have outlived the
assaults made upon it for many years
in this country because OF the evils
attendant upon the traffic Indeed re-
gardless of what may be urged By
friends of the saloon against certain
restrictions upon the business, as so
many infringementS upon the persona,
rights of the individual the fact can
not be gainsaid that the liquor traffic
inherently is such as to demand re
|striction, regulation and supervision in
fashion which would be thought OF
in connection with other business pu"-
suits
Position in Law.
This idea is not the outgrowth OF
the total abstinence crusades begin
ming in the first half of the last cen
fury nor the anti-saloon agitation Of
the last few decades which seeks to
compel the mass 10 abstain whereas
they first sought to persuade the in
Idividual to eschew the use of intoXi-
cants as morally wrong and economi
cally wasteful.
at had already crystalzed into
statute law in the earliest organized
societies of which we have knowledge:
The ancient civilizations of Chaldea
and Assyria; the statutes of Hamur-
abai brought to light some years ago
by scientists digging below the ruins
of ancient Babylon which was built
upon the ruins of the older Chaldean
capital. dealing with regulations of the
wine shops, appear almost modern de-
spite the lapse of 4 900 years or more.
The police in those days apparently
had much trouble in compelling the
wine dealers to obey laws and regu-
lations enacted for the protection of
society and the individual as we have
in these days in enforcing laws and
ordinances. And the cause in the final
analysis of course, is the same. the
lust for gain which is implanted in
men a motive so strong that the harsh
penalties provided by laws engraved
upon the Babylon clay tablets were
probably not more effective in pre-
venting frequent violations of the law
than the milder penalties of the pres
ent day are able to secure observance
of the law III this day end generation
This lust for gain, take it, is pTin.
cipaiiy responsible for the growth of
the worst phases of the liquor traffic
and the addition of others. such as
gambling and worse forms of vice to
so many saloons that natural reac-
hac NTn I'D
during the past few years the develop
men of an tisaloon sentiment, so
strong and aggressive that the manu-
facturers and the better element of re
tailers realize that unless those direct
ly Interested in the business 10 not
effect radical reform, the drink traf-
fic, manufacturing as well as retailing
as legal business, will be swept out
of existence by the storm of public
condemnation, aroused we may char
itably assume by the misconduct OF
minority of those engaged in the
liquor business.
SkepficaI of Such Reform.
ITO this end the brewers and dis
tillers' organizations have adopted
resolutions expressive of their deter
mination to purge the business of the
disreputables engaged in it and 10 di
vorce the saloon business of gambling
and prostitution for which unfoI tunate-
ly, a license to sell liquor is often
merely cloak, and so skillfully con-
trived that it is difficult to secure posi-
tive proof even when the police hon
estly strive to do their duty. Because
of the factors involved in the problem
am somewhat skeptical as to tie
possibilities of the reform of the bust
ness by those interested in it. AS a
matter of fact if the wholesaler and
manufacturer really meant business
they could have wiped out every dis
orderly saloon in the country within
the past year. But the expression
formulated in resolutions and voiced
in speeches by the individual manu-
,facturers are purely platitudes. The
spirit from which they emanate is not
strong enough to cause the transla-
ton of the words into deeds. either
! by individual brewers or the associa.
lions.
/ "The desire to make as much money
as possible out of the business, or the
fear that an effective effort toward
the elimination of the disorderly sa
i looms might result in diminution oil
profits, lessen the ardor for reform OF
the best intentioned brewers and his
reform ideas do not pass beyond the
expression of some amiable platitude.
for public consumption And this in
ability of the brewers to bring abou
!, reform of conditions which hav,
grown up through their complaisanc
to put it mildly is the crux of the en-
!, tire problem.
Those of us who have reached
middle age see very distinctly the dill
ference between the saloons and TIL
} saloonkeeper of today and those of 3
Or even Is or 90 years ago. In forme
years the saloonkeeper could wit
some justice lay claim to the title Q
Z poor mems club. The saloonkeeper
not only owned the business conduc
ed by them but in large majority c
) cases, at least in the smaller cite.