Year: 1874

Whatever any one may think of the
temperance crusade in itself, or of the
attempts to restrain the traffic in intoXi-
eating drinks. there can be but one opin-
ion among fair-minded men as to the de-
plorabl situation of affairs in our city
to-day. Our city government lies pros
trate at the feet of the fanatical wor
shippers of Beer and Whisky. The worst
elements of our foreign born population
have the upper hand in every branch OF
the government. 1t has controlled the
election of a majority of our Aldermen,
Councilmen, School Trustees, City Boards,
everything The officials brought in by
the last April election are largely Of a
class utterly unworthy Of their positions,
and we have scarcely Il city officer to-day,
even OF the better class, who has the
manhood to offer any resistance to the
demands of men who have no higher
idea of personal liberty than to be per-
mtted to defy every law that does not
suit their individual inclination, or that
in terieres with the indulgence of their
lowest tastes.


The Mayor and Police, whose duty it
is to see the laws enforced, bend their
energies to the suppression not of illegal
dram shops, or gambling hells or Sabbath
desecration, or drunken rioting-which
proceed unchecked, right before their
eyes; but when a band Of respectable
women, orderly, peaceful, impelled by a
strong religious impulse, try to do some
thing to stay these great evils, using no
unlawful means and desiring to avoid
any doubtful collisions, they are put
under arrest. When a city missionary,
exercising an undoubted right accorded
to him from time immemorial, attempts
to preach on Sunday in the. open air,
without interfering with any one or
creating any disturbance, he too is
marched off to the station house. Mobs
assail peaceable women OF the highest
respectability, going quietly through the
streets, or even the suspicion of their
being crusaders-often entirely erroneous,
as in the disgraceful affair which occur
red last highland the rioters go unmo-
Tested. They belong to the ruling ctess, be-
fore which our city authorities lie
PROSTATE, unnerved feebly submissive.


Now, it is becoming evident that this
state of things cannot last. general


feeling of Indignation and disgust has
already been awakened, and 1t will not
diminish until there is material change
in this most humiliating and disgraceiul
situation. A conflict is coming in Gin
| cinnati, in which the question is to be
determined whether Beer and Whisky


are to be the supreme objects of worship,


to which everything else must be sub
servient, or whether the boorish element
OF our foreign born population shall be


made to know his place. and to submit
to the laws Of the American people whose


hospitality they have so grossly abused.
If we do not mistake the temper OF
our citizens, this is the exact nature OF
the contest now in hand. We respect


and appreciate as highly as any one
whatever is noble, manly and decent in
| the German character We shall indulge
in no indiscriminate denunciation of the
| Teutonic or Celtic elements of our popu-
| lation We have many friends among
| both, holding the same position in our
| regard as those Of like character born on
| American soil Nor do we desire to dis


guise the fact that many of the Ameri-


Can-born are among the disturbers oil


society; vet neither the Americans nor
| the Irish forget to respect ,Coman. And
while the intelligent German press oi
| this city arrays itself ON the side of the


worst elements, making Beer and Whis
! XIV the supreme objects of their consider
ttion. and encouraging rutfianly assaults


upon women it cannot be expected that


the American people in general will fail


20 hold the German element largely re
,ponsible for the disgrace that has come
upon our city, and 10 seek the election


If men to office who will more correctly
| represent the sentiments of the orderly
and decent classes OF native-born citizens.