Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1910-02-17
The Saloon A Public Drinking
School.

u ar the Dickie. Rose debate IN Chicago
will recall that DR.. Dickie quoted a let
ter from a saloonkeeper in r iedo, Ohio.
The writer, Mr.. {. Bartholomew, who
has since zone out of the retail liquor
business, contributes tile following article
. The National prohibitionist. While
il offers nothing particularly new in the
form Of argument against the saloon,
The mothers Of boys will find a certain
satisfaction in having their opinions cor.
roboratcd by one whose deducations are
drawn from the ins.de.-Edi,or Un,on
Signal.
The open bar or saloon has been and
always will be the stepping stone, the
FIRST place to invite our boys and young
men, where they have a free opportunity
TO acquire the drink habit. term the
open bar or saloon q public drinking
school, where young men are taught to
drink. As the law prohibits the sale of
liquor 10 a minor, few boys start to drink
until they become of age. At that time
q bov has Il perfect right, according to
the law, to attend or patronize the pub
lie drinking school where lie is Loaud to
learn to drink.
There are but few hereditary drinkers.
II is seldom that a by likes the taste oil
beer or whisky. Every young man has
20 acquire the habit of drinking. / ain
speaking from actual experience |
stood behind the bar tor ten year !
have watched the young man in my own
place Of business from the first drink un.
I'll he deye opei .hto d luil leiged drum.
ard
Young men follow their older associ.
ates into the saloon and are there in.
duced to take the first drink. have
heard many n young man refuse the in.
vitction to drink liquor. They perhaps
took ginger ale or soda. These young
men continued to frequent my saloon,
until I became per ~sonally acquainted
with them, and it was very easy for NE
to watch them devel' p the drink habit.
One by one, they fell, as they are sure TO
do if they t vqucnt the saloon. Ginger
ale for awhile, thcn beer, that mild in.
toxicant, and at last they take a fall Oh,
Of old John R,r'c"cc-n.
Doesn't thai establish the fact that the
open saloon Is = public drinking school
and shouii tie abollsiiedi
The open saloon is too handy; it il
established Oh all the most prominent
corners in every city and town. The
saloonkcepcr advcrtises aud holds out
the same inducemcnt for our young men
to pollute their systems with liquor as
the grocery hldn does who furnishes
yoh with the necessities of life. You
often hear the remark in defense OF the
saloonkeeper, that it is your own fault if
you get drunk; that lie, the saloorkeeper,
does not pull you into the saloon and
make YOU drink. No, not by main
strength, | will admit, but he has other
nieans that never fail. There are many
privileges connected with the saloon
witch have Il tendency TO pull you in,
and III time you viii feel compelled 10
spend n few dimes for the accom,noda.
tlons that the s,!oo"keerer has furnished
yom free.
The saloon is wide.oren proposition
10 one and all. You are always welcome.
That is the saloonkceper's advertising
feature. YOU are welcome to all the
privileges the place affords, free lnnch,
Tree lavatories, free chairs. that YOU ma
sit down aud rest under the cooling fans
III the summertime, or by The blazing fire
On a cold winters day or night. These
privilege are free to YOU, whether YOU
spend a cent or not. The saloonkeepef
will not !rire YOU out, never. This i,
the bait that brought you in, and he
knows ioll well that you will soon be
contributing for the use Of all the ac,
~Connoiatlons Won have had. There i,
no fault 10 Gnd with the accommodations
II is What you get when you start 10 pay
for them. Instead of receiving any ben,,
fit. the men "lo accept these things arr
wasting their hard earned money anI
creating an extensive appetite aud haI.
that viii toIi"~ .Ae'n to llieiI graves.
In order to stop II Young men from
lraruin6 the dnnk habit, you must pro
hibi, the open saloon or drinking school
t"eu ihcrr whl he 10 opportunity for
Sonr sen ~ arNni their money will
t"he "r' '1H g,rG them nothing in re
tam Ym will stop them from con