The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-01-08

Oue leduS uen TO better life, the
other to worse one. Every true con-
vert to the church means one less for
the saloon. The church builds up in
the development of manhood, the sa-
loon tears down.
You can't name single interest
of the church but what is opposed by
the legalized saloon. If the saloons
had their way they would close every
church door in our city. They would
take our boys from the Sunday School,
public schools, their homes and make
drunkards of them and paupers
and criminals They would rob our
churches of men and money until
there would not be men enough and
money enough to support them A
few days ago man came to my door
begging for but one dime to buy
meal. One time he was a christian
man, good husband and father To.
day he is down and out. | charge the
saloons of this city with the awful
crime of taking this man from his
home. church. his loved ones and rob-
! UlUS IllIl vi lAdlluOOu. HOuOI. lONe anu
sending him out into the cold world
| homeless, penniless, friendless and in
sane. | have more respect for the
saloon keeper that sold him the liq-
uor than / have for the members of
these churches that sanction the sa-
loon business. Yes, the saloon has
robbed the church of many of its
| members. 1t has been known when
the preacher was trying to protect
! his church to waylay him and shoot
him down in cold blood
If the saloon had its way churches
would be few. The churches of Keo-
kuk have it in their power if they will
unite their forces to close every sa-
| loon in the city
say, close the saloons because they
are enemies to our homes. There is
not a home in our city that the legal
lied liquor traffic would not destroy if
it could. have seen homes wrecked
by it. So have these ministers.
The saloons are an enemy to every
organization that seeks to build up
the community financially morally
and spiritually. Is that not enough to
cause the people of this city to rise
up and close the saloons?
If not hear me! The saloon is a
coward. 1t hides behind stained glass
windows and doors and sneaks its
customers in at the back door. 1t
strikes in the night 1t lies in wait
for the unborn. 1t cocks the high
wayman's pistol. 1t puts the rope in
the hands of the mob. 1t is the an
archist of the world. 1t sent the bull
let through Lincoln and nerved the
arm that held the pistol that sent the
bullet into Garfield. 1t takes the
carpet from the floor, the pictures
from the walls. clothes from the body,
money from the bank, love from the
heart, the boy from the home, the
soul from God. There is not crime
in all the catalogue of crimes that it
has not committed.
o men and women of Keokuk,
am no mans enemy, not even the sa-
loon keepers, but the saloon Iuhate.
o the souls that they have stripped of
every God-given and God-like quality
and left in ruin. Burn every ship that
floats on the seas and every city of
this continent and all would be re-
placed on a grander scale, but one
soul ruined can not be restored
How Can We Close Themg
n no h la
way.
The church must wake up. Strip
themselves from all alliance with the
saloon business. | do not mean
fanaticize. But to solemnly and
prayerfully do our duty as christian
men and women ought to do.
Enforce the Law.
Let every citizen help the city Of
ficials enforce the law. Quit acting
the coward If We have city officers
who will not enforce the law impeach
them, remove them from office The
battle is on The saloon must go.
Keokuk with her splendid churches.
noble men and women must join the
army.
We have enough to encourage us
Eight thousand members left the
Bartenders' union last year, mostly
because the saloons in which they
worked were closed. The saloons
have been abolished by law in two
thirds of the territory of the United
States. Georgia was the first south
ern state to adopt prohibition, then
Oklahoma, Alabama and North Caro-
lima. All but five counties of Ten
nessee are dry. Kentucky has expell-
ed the saloon from SO of the 119 coun-
ties and from 81 per cent of the state.
In the last few years Virginia has
closed 1000 saloons. In Illinois, In
Fifty Cents a Month
a small hottie of Ccotf,c