Year: 1869

IL. 1869. "TRIP


Bohemian Raids .. the Grecers-Ths Be-


ginning and tho End.


Some two or three years ago the radical


organs in this city and throughout the State,


incensed at the stubborn democracy Of New


York, started out on crusade against the


Irish saloon keepers and German lager beer


dealers, who were regarded as the bone and


sinew of the democratic party, and determined


to legislate them into good republicans. Our


lawmakers at Albany, impressed with the


necessity Of breaking down the democratic


majorities at this end Of the State, which were


growing steadily larger year after ydAr with


the increasing population, entered vigorously
into the policy of coercion, and statute after


statute was enacted having for it's object the
punishment Of the unwashed and un-


terrified masses Of the metropolis On
the principle that people who obstinately re-
fused to elect republicans to ofice were unfit
to govern themselves, the various departments
Of the city government were placed under the
control of commissioners appointed by the
Governor or elected BY the State Legislature,
then in the hands Of the radicals, and as
special mark Of reprobation the Excise law
for the Metropolitan District laid its
grasp upon the venders Of whiskey and lager,
who were regarded as the head and front of
democratic offenders. The impression had


become general among republicans that men


who sold and men who consumed liquor and


beer were naturally democratic in their pro-
clivities, and the cold water fanatics held to
the belief that It was only necessary to cripple
the trade in Intoxicating beverages to convert
the rosy-faced Dutchman, who consumes his
forty or fifty ''schoppens" daily, into the coun-
terpart Of sallow-visaged Yankee, who sab
sists upon cider and apple sauce. A license
fee Of two hundred and fifty dollars was there
fore extorted from the saloon keeper as well as
from the landlord of the first class hotel; no
liquor was allowed to be sold before five o'clock
in the morning or after twelve o'clock at night;


the violator of any provision of the Excise law
was treated as a felon, and his arrest was
authorized without warrant; the police force
was converted into an army Of spies and
informers, and, worst of all, the innocent Sum
day amusements Of the Germans, with whom
the Sabbath has been for centuries day Of
recreation as well as Of rest, were forbidden
under penalties as severe as those meted out
to pickpockets. The effect Of all this sump


tuary legislation was scarcely such as it's
origfhators had anticipated. The demo-


cratic majorities at this end of the
State, instead Of creeping up by slow degrees,
took sudden leap of twenty or thirty thou
sand at time, and the State of New York,
which had one year elected the republican


candidates by twenty thousand majority,


turned over to the democracy and gave them
majority of fifty thousand votes. The radi-
cal organs, undeterred by this experience,


became more rabid than ever in their
abuse Of democrats, threatened still further
pains and penalties to the wicked and rebel
lious people of New York, and for the second
time the consequence was the loss Of the State
to the radicals in the Presidential fight and


democratic majority without precedent in the


Metropolitan District.


The losing game thus played by the great
republican party has more recently been tried


on small scale by dissatisfied, needy, sore
headed democratic organ, and has been at
tended by like disastrous result. The Bo-
hemian editor of'the concern, irritated at the
want of confidence exhibited towards him by
the democratic leaders, and incensed against


Tammany for its refusal to nominate him for
Mayor Of the city or to bestdw upon him any
other Office, swelled himself into the proportions


of political Don Quixote, and with his high
paper cap upon his head and his goose quill


poised in air ran tilt against the grocers, hotel
proprietors and saloon keepers, who are sup
posed to form the main body Of the democratic


army. Regardless of the long business career


and irreproachable character Of many Of those
against whom its wrath was directed, this un-
happy organ assailed the reputation and


honesty Of some Of our most sterling business


men-the solid 6ourgeoisie of the city, who
stand as . connecting link in society between
the hard-fsted democracy and the soft-fsted


aristocracy. Not only were our corner gro
GERS and saloon keepers branded as thieves
and swindlers, but the most respectable Of our
hotels and wholesale houses were pronounced
to be so many dens for the robbery and poison
| ing Of their customers This rascally assault
upon the credit and character Of the city that
has furnished the Bohemian strikers with


their board, lodging, lager, cheese and such
washing as they indulge in for Eve or six
years past, has naturally excited the indigna-
| ton of the democracy and Of all reputable
citizens, and the consequence has been the
dwindling down of the sore- headed organ, day
by day, until 1t has become as weak and sickly
as the radical vote in New York. The Bo-
hemians are now in great tribulation at the re-