Norwich bulletin., 1916-03-13
SALOONS OF WTLLIMANTIc
Was the Subject of Rev. w. o. Nuzum's Address Sunday Evening at the Methodist Church.

mere was gooo attendance 4I I1e Methodist church Sunday evening. The pastor. Rev. W. O. Nuzum, spoke on The Saloons of Willimant1c. MT. Nuzum has made a, personal study of the saloons of this city, visiting them, and has seen conditions as they really are. He said in part:
 Man is the only animal in the world l who is real ten story fool, the only animal who willfully and constantly will go to his destruction. No other animal will do it. Yet generation after generation of men follow the same course in the same way under the | same circumstances to the same de- struction. Alexander the Great was | only 32 years old when he was con- queror of the world, but he became a victim of drink and died prematurely | Robert Burns died poor and forsalSeR | because of drink. Byron wandered an exile all over the world because of | drink.
 We are living in a land that is the most enlightened, the most temperate, most wonderful land, the greatest na- | ton, the last 50 years living in the greatest age the world has ever known They used to test a nation by its I armies; better wiring their necl<s than ! have that kind of a test. The best | way to test a nation is not by its | corn or cotton. A nations greatness | is it's mechanical genius. America iS | the greatest industrial nation on earth. ! | will raise more crops, bring more lux 1 uries and larger education. These are | the tests of greatness. We produce more of the worlds needs than any other nation. In the last 50 years | two-thirds of the great discoveries | have been made in the United States.
 Whats the matter with England to- 1 day? Drunkenness. Whats the mat ter with Germany? Drunkenness. With Russia? Drunkenness. Whats IsSL I-,-oT nd l women.
 | The Methodist church is the enemy of the saloon. In the state of all states that for 40 years has held fast to ce-kanSas-every httn man is a Methodist. Kansas has more wealth per capita, more children in the colleges, in schools, because they haven't had any booze there in 40 years.
 Whats the matter with our city here? The greatest evil in America is the American saloon. It is the worst institution on earth. You have not got in the city of Willimantic an ideal American saloon. l have looked them over and you haven't a gilded saloon in the city. Every last one of them are dirty, contemptible places. They haven't enough mirrors for some of you women to fix your hats with. The only good looking feature of the sa- | looms are the men behind the bar. You
 
 because most of them are foreign sa- looms.
 Out of the average attendance of 1 these saloons on Saturday night be- | tween and II, of about 20 men, not a business man was to be found. By their language about 50 per cent. of the men in these saloons were foreign CTS. You don't have in Willimantic an average, American saloon. You know i why? Because your business men are fr@ 1av~ 1,-,, H. r1f VT places. The danger and viciousness of this community are in your clubs. 1 In the fire rooms, in these so-called select places, that's where your busi- ness men and boys are getting their
 liquor, and not in these saloons. 1 give you warning that if I stay in
 this city I shall find every one of these
 places and we shall fight them earnest ly. I don't want to mention any of your societies, but will mention them after I have made an investigation of
 them.
 There are something like 25 saloons in this city. The proprietors are near ly all foreigners. Most of the bartend- CTS were American young men. They are men who will not drink themselves. They confess that they are in a dirty l business and would to God they were Isout of it. There wasn't a man either proprietor or bartender who defended | his business but one.
 | What are you going to do about it ? The easiest thing in the world would
 be to kick those saloons out. It is the l so-called upper class, social societies, clubrooms, firehouses that your boys are tempted night after night. Shame
 on the community that permits such
 a thing as that. I honor the brave fire l 1addies, men who risk their lives to
 save my property and yours. You have no business to allow them to have this
 thing that goes to ruin their lives 1 That is the thing that is going to be
 hard to get out of this community. l If we had ten men of real genuine | GCd like temperance sentiment who
 would stand shoulder to shoulder we
 could drive this iniquity out and keep it out.
 Save these men from themselves
 Save these bartenders for an honorable
 business. Save the proprietors from
 loon. Save these boys from the
 temptations of clubs. Save the com
 mHnity and you will save the boy anG
 the girl and save society. God grant 1t for His names sake.
 Last of Union Services. The last of the union services was } held at the Gem theatre Sunday even.
 ing at o'clock. There was a large
 attendance. Rev. w. D. Cavert of tho
 Congregational church preached the . sermon, taking for his subject Wha
 Shall Do With Jesus? The quartettt
 from the Congregational church, ac'
 companied by Mrs. c. H. CaswelL r. rendered special music. Mrs. Clarl a Burnham substituted for Miss Brand
 soprano.
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