The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-03-16
v. c. I.>U. Department
(Mrs. f. Van Hood, Editor)
The saloon and It's Allies Bible
Reading
(Hah 21-15N

The saloon and It's Allies Bible
Reading
(Hab 2:1-15)
Mon.-The saloons supporters q Cor.
Tues.--A nest of corruption (Psa-- 81:
1-10)
wed.-Idleness an ally lisa. 5:11-f).
rhurs,mIse 2s-gse license ally isa' .;
Fri.-Our neglect an ally tJas. 4:1D.
Sat.-The saloon breed tRom. :28-321-
Is the municipality a saloon? When?
Christian men who rent property for
saloon purposes are allies of the sa-
loon, and enemies, accordingly. of the
owners of all adjacent properties.
These men often excuse themselves
for what they are doing by the argu-
ment that they can get proper rent
for their property by renting it for sa-
loon purposes. But they are not en-
titled to such rent. What right have
they as Christian men to do wrong
for moneys sake? Their saloon de-
preciates the value of other properties
in the ncighborhood, and they make
possible all the work of ruin and de-
vastatioH and impoverishment which
| the saloon carries on.
The soon and crime and sin are
great allies. AS much evil is planned
| in saloons as in any other one place.
| The saloon is the haven Of the idler
the peace-breaker, the violator of the
law, the men who prey upon their fell
lows Those who wish to debauch
others find it the best place for their
purpose. Saloons are of all social
| grades, just as sin is, but no place is
more congenia1 to the sin of any par
ticular social level than the saloon of
1.-The same level. Is it not marvellous
that society actually allows the main
itenance OF places which are the nat
iural gathering and distributing places
for evil and vice and crime?
| . The patrons of saloons are, of course,
their allies. Without them the sa-
looms could not exist. 1t is the money
of their customers which supports
them. Whoever spends anything in a
saloon helps to perpetuate it, and
makes himself confederate with all
that the saloon does and with all it's
other allies.
! The men who maintain social clubs
of high standing where they can get
on Sunday and at any time what liquor
they want to drink are allies of the
saloons, for the frequenter of the sa-
ilOon contends that the saloon is to
him what the club is to the rich. and
that he has as much right to have a
place to drink as the rich man has.
| The saloons have many hidden allies.
The brewers who. esta blish or support
! them in order to have market for
their beers, the politicians who finance
them or back them with other kinds
of help, the licensing authorities who
multiply them. as well as the property
owners who lease buildings to them,
are the allies of the saloon.
| The saloon is not a social necessity.
1t is a drinking place. The money
spent on saloons would make the
thomes of those who patronize the sa-
looms infinitely more attractive and
| wholesome social centers than the sa-
lloons are or can ever be.
! Those of us who treat the saloon as
IA joke, who regard it with all it's bale
iu1 effects as necessary and unavoida-
BILE, who call it the poor mans club
and deem ourselves large minded in
allowing it to him, forgetting the
icurse it is to his family and the eco
Inomic waste it is to the nation, who
lvote to continue the institution when
we have an opportunity to pass upon
1T at the polls, who do not work and
pray to purge our life Of one Of its
chief sources Of po1lution-we are all,
are we not, so far allies of the saloon