New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1917-02-07
The / { Open! Forum I: ! 4!
After The Saloon What?
TO The Editor Of The Review.

: !
TO The Editor Of The Review.
After the Saloon what? This is
question that will probably be asked
a great many times in the next few years.
It is being asked in states that have
already adopted prohibition, and whether
the voters decide for or against the
change in this state, the above question
is timely topic here, at this time.
l have just read an interesting dis
cussion on the question delivered a few
days ago at Lincoln, Neb., that state
having recently adopted prohibition.
The address, which was delivered by
Dr.. John A. Gray, we'll known New
York social worker, and so many oft
his points are so we'll taken that feel
that they should be passed along and
would be of special interest to many
of your readers. Dr.. Gray is well
known to New Ulm people, having lee
tured here several times. DR.. GRAY de-
clares that the town that gives up the
saloon must give something in it's place
that will satisfy the men who 20 there.
These must be social centers,e and thew
must be of the right atmosphere and con-
Quoted without hypocritical pretense,
and to meet genuine human need.
The saloon gives the men who patron
ize it what they call the real thing
Dr.. Gray says, 1T isn't to get drunk
that men fly to saloons. It is to supply
perfectly natural human instincts for
companionship and entertainment.
The social centers which Dr.. Gray
advocated in his Lincoln address, which
was delivered in the largest Methodist
church in that city, would furnish a
cup of coffee, doughnut, a piece of
pie or sandwich close to cost. In
the basement he would fit up roller
skating rink because it beats dancing.
He would also have a swimming pool
and shower baths, and if necessary
billiard and pool tables. He would
have cabaret, not the risque and sala-
cious entertainment with which the big
cities have tried to poison the life of
the nation, but a program where there
would be good singing, elocutionery
efforts and the best moving pictures
that could be purchased. He would
also have reading rooms and If neces-
sary a smoking room.
DR.. Gray declared that most people
do not understand to a great number of
people the taking away of the saloons
would seem like a. calamity. Drunken
ness is not disease, but habit. Shut
off the means of getting drunk and YOU
have: ended that habit, but you must
have some substitute, something else
that has the same elemental appeal
that induces men to go to the saloon
in the first place.
Mem don't drink to get; drunk It is
because, they are lonely and there is
COMPREHENSIVE in the saloon;; because
of the mirrors and the: bright Fights,
the things that appeal to an elemental
Interest, to the imagination and which
make uBs what is called atmosphere.
/ There are several classes Of mem who
now frequent saloons. What is: going
to- happeH to them when the; saloon is
CLOSED? Ome class will forget all about
the saloon and 60 on about it's work.
/, Thes acond class will become bootlegrers
and keepers of blind pigs and law de-
fiers.. The third class will be- made up
of mem who actually suffer, i'm one or
more senses because the saloon. is now
filling real need in their lives.
|, Dr.. Gray told his Lincoln hearers
that it !. not the church that is driving
the saloon out. He said enthusiastically
that the church was not banishinp the
saloon. But that it was up,tD the church
to provide something to take it's place.
4 The: church must prove that it, is a neces-
isity I'm the scheme of nature: Nature
has deereed the banishment1 af mar
|Gotias and the saloon and in time will
dispense with all things not necessary to
her evolution The church will follow if
it cannot fulfill the conditions required
loft it and do what there is for it to do.
New Ulm. Feb. S, -. PARAGON.
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