p. 153 | Temperance

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 29, 1883

Temperance.

The American Saloon.

Not long since we discussed briefly the character and effects of the American saloon. We recognized the fact that the American saloon is an important factor in American civilization, and that no man or class of men could be found who would defend the American saloon on its merits, and closed by asking the question, "What shall we do with the American saloon?"

That the American saloon has been arraigned before the bar of public opinion, charged with a long list of crimes—crimes the foulest and blackest of which the imagination can conceive—and that the case is now under serious consideration no candid person will deny. Already in two States of the Union the case has been submitted and the people have most emphatically declared the American saloon a criminal and an outlaw. In many other States the trial is well advanced. Arguments pro and con are being made and soon at the longest, we must say what we will do with the American saloon.

There are now two parties to this question. In the first place there are those who would leave the American saloon alone—allow it to do as much mischief as it pleases. We are glad to say that as we understand it, this class does not include a majority of the people. It does not include the philanthropists of the world, for no one who has the smallest regard for the well-being of the human family, can be indifferent to the evils which flow from the American saloon and consent to their continuance.

Those who favor an unrestrained liquor traffic are largely the men who are reaping some pecuniary advantage from that traffic. They are men who are willing to sacrifice the property, the health, and even the lives of those about them if they can only get personal gain in the operation. They are men who are governed more by greed than by a regard for the rights of others.

But even these men, as bad as they are, as unprincipled as every one knows them to be, do not attempt to defend the American saloon on its merits. They only apologize for its existence by raising some false issues concerning it or by urging in substance that it is such an outlaw that it cannot be controlled by law.

In the second place there are those who believe that the American saloon has no right to exist in civilized society. They affirm that the American saloon is an enemy to the best interests of the country; an enemy to the church, the Sabbath, the school and every other interest of the country; an enemy to every branch of business known to the business men of the nation. The saloons of Detroit take the money which legitimately belongs to the merchant and manufacturer. The saloons give no "value received" for this money, while the merchant and manufacturer would give in return, shoes for children that are now bare-footed, clothes for wives and children who are now suffering for lack of comfortable clothing; food for families that are now suffering because of the drunkenness and consequent degradation which these saloons carry into them.

The American saloon is a mortal enemy of everything that is good and a warm friend of everything that is bad. Where are there most poor people? Where there are most saloons. Where are there most murders committed? Where are there most saloons. Where do the largest per cent. of men become insane? Where there are most saloons. Where are the most men in prison? Where there are most saloons. Where are houses of ill-fame most numerous? Where are there most saloons. Where do lawsuits abound most? Where are there most saloons. Where is there the most ignorance? Where there are most saloons. Where can bad men easiest get into office? Where there are most saloons. Where do we find the largest number of children in the street-school taking lessons in vice? Where there are most saloons. Where can you find the most of bad and the least of good? Where there are most saloons.

In view of these considerations, a very large portion of the people are ready to admit that the saloon ought not to exist, but unfortunately there is a serious difference of opinion as to the best method to be pursued to annihilate the saloon, and this difference of opinion is alone responsible for the fact the American saloon has been permitted to live until the present time. A united effort on the part of all who believe that the world would be benefited by the annihilation of the saloon, would rid the world of this institution which is worse than pestilence, famine, and war combined, within less than one year. A part of those who believe, or claim to believe, that the American saloon ought not to be allowed to exist, tell us that it is impossible to annihilate it, at least suddenly. They say they want the saloon to die, but they cannot be persuaded that it can be killed. These men look upon the American saloon, and to them it is such a monster that they cannot be made to think that it is not master of the situation, and they therefore urge that it is not wise to attempt to kill it but only to control it. These men say, Throw around the American saloon the restraints of law; prohibit it from doing a part of the mischief which it is now doing; load it down with taxation; bind it with chains, but do not attempt to kill it.

This, to us, is a strange philosophy. We are entirely unable to understand how it is possible to so chain this monster as to deprive him of all power to do mischief, if it is impossible to kill him entirely. It seems to us a much easier job to kill than to cage a rattlesnake; a much easier and safer job to kill than to tame a mad dog.

If we can close the American saloon on Sunday, why can we not close it on every day of the week? Is it not fool-hardy to attempt to close it on Sunday and give it permission to remain open during the week? If we can prohibit the sale of liquor to minors, why can we not prohibit the sale of liquor to those who are not minors? If we can cut one inch from the end of a rattlesnake's tail, can we not with the same effort cut one inch from the other end of the villainous brute and thus forever put an end to his power to do mischief?

We most certainly believe that we can, and that the anathema maranatha of Jehovah will certainly rest upon us if we fail to do it.—The Lever.