The Glenwood post., 1916-01-08
DOWNFALL OF the
LICENSED SALOON
CONTINUED from page one)

oe4tn spreading Vlleness, and is hewing
out that awful parasite that is preying
on the citizenship of our land. That
greatest menace to American institu-
tions, the enemy of freedom, must be
slain. No longer shall Old Glory throw
its protecting folds around business
that can only live by the downfall of
our citizenship. The saloon must 60.
Its nefarious business is the one great
vice that has had the protection of the
state. Every community which allows
the saloon to ply its destructive trade
invites vice of every sort to set up
headquarters in our midst.
We talk about the horrors of war and
say that "war is hell" But alcohol is
ten thousand times more destructive
'than war, because its destructive bust
ness is continuous.
We stand appalled,, silent, stunned in
the presence of Europe's tragedy, and
well we might, but alcohol, the world
over, is killing every year, three and
'one-half million people. There are
six hundred eighty thousand deaths
from alcohol every year in America
alone. tWar is he'll" but what Of
alcoholl
The whole world is shocked to its
foundation, by the awful tragedy of
Titanic" disaster. When a vessel
worth ten million dollars goes to tie
bottom of the sea, with fifteen hun
dred souls, the whole civilized world
pours out its sympathy. But every day
Of our lives, in this fair land, alcohol
is killing two thousand men and Wo.
men. Think of it What price,!
There are one million confirmed
drunkards in the United States, with
four million heavy drinkers, and twen-
ty million moderate drinkers to fill
their ranks as they drop into drunk
ard grave. One-half these drunkards
acquired the habit before the age of
twenty-one and one-third before the
age of sixteen. Search through the his
tory of this hateful thing and read ole
page, over which some mother can bow
her grateful head and thank God for
all the saloon did for her boy. There
is no such record. All its history is
written in tears and blood, and smears
Of shame. and stains of crime and dark
blots of disgrace.
No fraud that was ever forbidden
the privilege of the United State mails
ever robbed its victims more shamefully
than does the liquor traffic in America.
No lottery that ever provoked congress
to national legislation prohibiting its
shrewd game within the domain of the
Stars apd Stripes ever fleeced its pa
irons with such systematic depravity as
does the legalized trade in Intoxicating
beverage poison.
The licensed saloon Is an assassin, a
murderer; every year each saloon in
America slays three of our citizens.
The saloon is the cause of the biggest
waste of wealth to the nation. All the
net earnirgs of all our great railways
will not pay the nations drink bill
for sixty days. And oh, the pity of
this! Seventy per cent of our internal
revenue comes from the liquor business.
Shall we be bowed down in shame be-
cause Of completely with an institution
that bears On its face the blood Of men |;
and the curse Of God that transforms
American homes inte novels of drunh-
enness, that blights the very face of |
.womanhood into wrinkled drunkards'
wives, that stands in wait to debsucL
.rhe children Of our homes and Of oui
public schools! Shall we thus continue
to pay allegiance to this monarch!
America, free nation, the land of lip-
erty, pattern for new republics, de-
lendent for seventy per cent of its
Internal revenue on business like taisl
We demand safe and sane Fourth
Of guly, then license traffic that Kills
two thousand day. We quarantine
infectious diseases, then license the sa-
loon which menaces every home in the
land. We build tuberculosis hospital
every twenty-four hours, then license
business that predisposes thousands OF
persons to the disease annually. We
build our dreadnaughts and train our
armies to protect our homes, at tre-
mendous cost, then license business
which is the greatest enemy the home
ever knew. We maintain two hundred
seventy-five life saving stations on Cur
coasts at cost of one and one-half