The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-12-31
Communication From Rev. Liiiey.

A few days ago | visited home IN
this city. Poverty WAS written across
the floor, on the walls and expressed
itself in the looks and appearance OF
the wife and children. Hunger was
preyins on the lives OF the mother
and children. Christmas was near. but
not for that family: JOY was to come
into many homes and to fill many
hearts during the holidays, but not
this home. Other children We're TO
have some extra toys and the mother
some real joy, but not this mother.
Why? The husband and father IS
drunkard. He spends his money for
drink that he gets down at the sa-
loon. Who sold him the liquor? The
saloonkeeper. Who gave the saloon
keeper the authority? The voters OIL
keokuk
Go with me into the Jail on last
Thursday morning. Look there. bound
with letters, a once strong manly
man, but now dying drunken man
bright future before him; well educat-
ed, loved and respected by all who
knew him. In large head lines two
papers announced. Andy is Dead"
giving a brief sketch OF his life.
There seemed to be not note of
sadness in the reports, but rather a
careless, cold statement of his death
Who is responsible for the loss of
that life? What destroyed that char
acter? What robbed him of his man
hood and the community of a good,
honest, upright citizen? Who is re-
sponsible for that awful wreck? You
say: He was" reply, Was he
alone responsible? No. You know and
every other citizen knows that the
men who have been selling him Ii
quor all these years and the voters
of Keokuk by whose authority the
saloons are kept here, are partners in
the awful deed. You men of Keokuk
who voted or signed petition or
gave your influence to keep the sa-
looms in this city helpe.. to murder
Andy Simpson. Pilate-like you may
wash your hands but the murdered
mans blood will not wash out. For a
few paltry dollars you will keep the
saloons in the city at the expense of
manhood, character, home, love. JOY
and life itself What are the major
ity of the people of Keokuk saying
What is the editor of The Gate City
saying? 1T will be sold anyhow.
, There will be blind tigers. holes-in-the
WALL etc. This is the answer This
excuse is too short and narrow Just
as well say, men will gamble, let US
give them license Men will steal, let
us give them the privilege for $1,000
per year. Let u4 License prostitution,
get some money out of it. No The
men of keokuk cant clean their
hands that easy. The saloonkeepers,
brewers and the men and women who
gave their vote or Influence for the
saloon helped rob that home of its
/ Christmas, those Children of the joys
that should have been theirs. helped
Z to take the Joy out of that wife's and
mothers heart by supporting a bust
/ ness that did the work There is a
book published under the title sFa,
nous Trials Among the number is
one like this "a farmer lost a COW
killed by railroad train He brought
suit and was defeated. AS result he
was very angry and on the way home
/ he said he would tahc the law into
i his own hands, The. he would burn a
4 hrsA on Il oso1<
that evening. A neighbor heard him
/ and went out at miro that evening
and found the bridge saturated with
coal oil and the MN there ready to
burn 1t. He was searching his pock
cts for a match, bat he had none. He
asked the neighbor to give him q
match, but the neighbor refused, say
ing that would make him a partner
in the crime. But" he said, Il an
going to get match anyway Here
is a dollar I will re it to YOU for q
match. You might as well make the
dollar for I will get match anyway.
The neighbor took the dollar ane
gave him match. The bridge was
! set on fire. 9 train plunged into the
river and lives were lost. The judg
ment day came and the man who
struck the match and the man who
sold it to him We're arrested foi
murder. On the gallows the man who
sold the match paid the penalty Of
being partner in crime He gave
the match for dollar when ht
thoght the other man would get Z
match anyway. believe at the bar O
God that man who died in our cit
jail and others who have gone ant
are going the same road, and the
drunkard's wife and children vii
stand and condemn the church mem
bers and the intelligent voters ant
hold them responsible for giving thei
consent to the open saloon.
What is saloon? One has answer
ed we'll
A bar to heaven, door to hell.
Whoever named it. named it well.
A bar to manliness and wealth,
A door TO want and broken health:
A bar 10 honor. pride and fame,
A door to sin and grief and shame.