Year: 1872

Dr. WESTwooD THIRD LECTURE
The Fourth Street NJ. E. Church was
crowded in every part last night, there
being certainly not less than two thou
sand persons packed within its walls to
hear DR.. Westwood's last lecture, the
subject being "The Coffee Houses Of
Wheeling-What shall we do with
them


The preacher took his text from the
last portion of thirteenth chapter of
Deuteronomy and fifth verse: 80 shalt
thou put the evil away from thy
midst


lie commenced by referring to his
previous lectures on the same subject,
AMI said the Coffee House question is
reduced to the solution OF the inquiry,
What shall we do with them? If they
are needful; if they are blessing or a
benefit to the community. they should
be continued. But if they be Of no
use; if they be a bane to society; if
thev are ruin and curse instead OF a
blessing, they should be abolished or
their influence for evil circumscribed.


There are many reasons given for the
keeping open of coffee houses in our
city. One is, that man has a right to
follow any business that pleaSes him.
This is not true. There are businesses
that are prohibited by law, as this one
should be. Does any man pretend to
say that he has right to engage in the
slave trade, or to keep lottery office?


Another reason for their existence is,
that a man needs place for rest, re-
creation and rerreshment. Home is the
place for rest and his family all the
society a true man needs. The men
who seek society in drinking saloons
are not the men who need rest. Fresh
air, flowers, music and delightful con
verse are the means OF rest and refresh
ments. These are not to be found in
drinking houses. They are only found
ut home Women need rest as much
a. men. Who would take woman to
one OF these places? Duty calls the
true man nowhere where his wife may
not 90.


Again, it is said, we are accustomed
TO our beverages in our fatherland. In
our loved Germany or on the vine clad
hills and sunny slopes of France we
drank our beer and slipped our wine
with none to molest or make us afraid.
THESE customs we have brought with
~. and want TO enjoy ourselves here in
onr own way. Why then, said DR..
Westwood, did you leave your father
land? If there you could enjoy your
selves in your own way and offend no
one, why attempt TO iasten European
cns,oms on tree America where the
feelings OF the people are not in accord
ance with your ideas. As an American
citizen aud none the less American be-
canse am q Christian minister, | pro-
test against the introduction of ofpractices
nf doubtful value into this lard OF ours.
With as much force "a in your case
might the Hottentot claim the right to
% half clad on our streets because 1t Is
the castom in his native land.


Again it is SAID there is large rev.
enue derived from these coffee houses
anl We need it to pay our municipal
expenses Then, why not license gam
ing houses, lotteries and everything
else, no matter how bad. II | was "a
coffee house keeper ] would protest
against thus being made the subject OF
>reclal ouerous tax. The other places
named are not allowed legal existence,
and vet there is not an evil of them all
so great as this vice OF iDtemperance
which we license.


The question is what shall we do with
coffee houses? Some say go to saloon
keeper and talk to him. tell him he is
ioirg wrong Oh, yes, 60 and he will
tell YOU Timothy drank and that Noah
anI Lot took wine, and quote scripture,
INST as the slave dealer did, to show it
patriarchal institution. Moral suasion
will accomplish nothing. 1t has been
tried and failed.


Two remed ga are before us One Of
them is a prohibition law. And why
not have such law? | believe that
majority of the city Of Wheeling are in
favor of such a law. Why are not
their wishes and their rights regarded ?
Have seventy or eighty persons all the
rights? Are we to continually leglsiate
lor CLASP Why do we have all this
special legislation for the coffee house
keepers?


The second plan, said DR.. Westwood,
j. to labor until we secure such law as
hat in Ohio and Illinois. | have a
copy Of the Illinois law here. 1t is a
good law. All honor to the General
Assembly Of Illinois that passed it. All
honor to the city of Wheeling-when
they shall pass just such a,one. This
Illinois law protects the rights OF all.
1t provides that no one shall sell liquor
without license. But they must give
bond in the sum OF $4,000 conditioned
that they will make good any damage
or injury done to person or property by
the use of liquor sold by a licensed
dealer II the saloon keeper is not
good tor it, the property in which the
saloon is kept is liable ior damages.
Oh, but this is good law! We want
just such one here. Give us such a
law as this; give us a good constabu-
lary force that will see that the law is
enforced and | ask no prohibition
law


We can accomplish these purposes
by electing ONLY those who favor either