Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-08-08
THE SALOON AS
A SOCIAL Center
Alcohol, and Not Companion.
ship Is Sought
SOME EXPERIMENTS GIVEN
The Bishops Beer Of Chicago Dis
NAL Failure-But For the Anarchist,
Criminal and the Gambler the Sa.
loon 10 q Sort Of a club-Poor Man
Pays For Privilege

One Of the favorite arguments for
the saloon and one that has the most
truth in ills the assertion that the sa.
loon Is the poor mans club. Many
well-meaniIg people who are interest
ed in social questions are honestly of
the belief that the saloons are fire.
quented as social centers and as meet
ing places for men who can not afford
any other kind of club. Now that
there is an element of sociability in
tie saloon no one can fairly deny, but
that the first reason for the saloon Is
social Is to say the least a debatable
question. There are numerous COM
munities that do not have this sort OF
social center, In the first place, and
yet sociability does not cease. In
the second place, numerous attempts
have been made to substitute some
other social center with great success.
In every large city the social settle
ments have supplied the need with
out the accompaniment of the flowing
bowl. In the third place the saloon
without alcoholic beverages has always
been a dismal failure.
In Chicago, some years ago Bishop
Fallows OF the Reformed Episcopal
church had international notoriety as
the founder of a saloon where non.
alcoholic beer was sold. This re.
freshment looked like beer and tast.
ed like beer but 1t had no alcohol in
1t. II was called THE Bishops Beer"
For some weeks the saloon was
crowded and the free lunch patronized
literally. But before a month had
gone by all interest ceased in the ex.
pertinent. To his establishment the
good Bishop learned that the reason
men patronized saloon was not be-
cause OF sociability or the free lunch
but because they wanted to drink al
coholic beverages for the effect Of the
alcohol is the one thing sought for
by those who patronize saloon.
Some day social theorists will recog.
nize this fact and much yapid talk
Of the saloon as a social center will
cease. For few classes OF society, 1t
may be granted that the saloon fills
the place of club In the saloon the
anarchist matches his plots. In the
saloon the criminal element meet to
compare notes and make plans. In
the saloon the abandoned woman ia
made welcome. When a crime Is com.
mitted or when an anarchist plot is
suspected the saloons are the frs.
places visited by the police. There the
criminal element Is sure to be found
and there the other CLUB members
may be questioned as to the where.
abouts OF the wanted" criminals. II
is well known to the police that the
saloon is the one place Of business
In the civilized world where such
characters are tolerated or received
Another valued member Of the ga.
loon CLUB" Is the gambler. Here he
Is sure Of his social position and here
he may receive such favors as are
usually given to members Of clubs OF
better repute. A saloon without the
accessories Of lewd women, gamblers
and similar characters can hardly
maintain its place as Club" No
doubt the saloon.keeper Is kind to
the poor man, but the poor man pays
q tremendous price for the privilege
of the saloon club. It would seem
that any person Of average experience
and common sense would see through
the silly idea that men frequent
saloons for any other purpose prim.
arily than that of getting a drink.