The Press., 1909-09-08

"A BAD BUSINESS"
 There is hardly to be found a saloon
 keeper who, when he speaks his
 heartfelt sentiments. will not say
 "It's a bad business. !"
 Testimony is not lacking to this effect. It may interest some to have it from near home. Here it is. The proprietor of 8 nearby resort told the editor of this department, last November, Monday, the fifth day, about two o'clock in the afternoon, in the corridor of Memorial hall, Rockville, that " it's a bad business, MT. -, and I wouldn't stay in it minute if it wasn't for the money in it. There's not a man in it who keeps the law"
 It is indeed 8 bad business when those engaged in it condemn it The national and other associations of brewers have been showing us just how bad the business of the saloons is and has been. They are telling the saloon keepers that the reason why the saloon "must go' are that the saloon has had a dirty hand in politics, has adulterated it's liquors shamefully, has abused its privileges, and debauohed it's customers by giving | them too much to drink. They are now hot for the reform of the saloon. | But the only good form of saloon is | like the famous definition of the only | good Indian: A dead Indian. It cer- tainly is a very bad business that will | make a man ashamed of himself and heart broken to find his children imi- tating him. Read the following true story:
 Why Smith Sold Out.
 "I hear that Smith has just sold out his saloon," said one of a couple of middle-aged men who sat slipping their beer and eating bit of cheese in an American saloon.
 "Yes," responded the other, rather slowly.
 "What was the reason? I thought he was just coining money there.'
 The other nibbled a cracker ab- straotedly for a moment and then said {: Smith, you know, lives on Mt. Washington, right near me, where he has an excellent wife, a nice home, and three as pretty children as ever played outdoors. Smith is a pretty | respectable sort of 8 citizen-never drinks or gambles, and thinks the world of his family.
 "When he went home one after noon last week and found his wife out shopping, he went through the house | into the back yard. and there under the apple trees were the three little fellows playing. They had a bench | and some bottles and tumblers, and were playing keep saloon He noticed that they. were drinking some- thing out of a pail, and that they acted tipsy. The youngster, wbo was behind the bar, had 8 towel tied around his waist. and was setting the drinks up pretty freely.
 Smith walked over and looked i'm the pail. It was beer, and two of the boys were so drunk that they stag gered. A neighbours boy. two years older, lay asleep behind the tree.
 " Boys, you must not drink that r he said, as he lifted the six-year- old from behind the ben
 We's playin' 1on, pap; an I was sellin' it just like you, said the little fellow.
 "Smith poured out the beer, carried the drunken boy home, and then took his own boys in and put them to bed. When his wife came back she found him crying like 8 child.
 "He came down that night and sold out his business, and says he will not sell or drink another drop of liquor. His wife told mine about it, and she broke down crying, while she iold it. ''-Ohristian Scotsman.