Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1884 — Temperance Column. [ARTICLE]

Temperance Column.

Prejtared by the W<nne*n' C)n intlan, ItrntyeMincc Union of Henssefaer Ind., The prohibitory liquor law now on the statute books of lowa is exactly the same in form as the proposed amend---•.nent to the constitution of the State, which went td the people in 1882, and which was declared void by the Supreme ‘ Court because of a clerical error. i TBMI'BHAXCE. There are about 10,000 men engaged in the liquor traffic, put of a voting population of 200,000, in the city of New York. In other words, one in every 20 of the voters of tn at city are Interested in the liquor business, yet they control the city government, and the board of aldermen refuse to confirm any appointment riade by the mayor, that is not pledged to the saloons. At 'a great meeting recently held at Cooper " Institute, Judge Davis said : ‘•You have heard whom they have chosen for their presiding officer. I have ho comment to make upon him "personally. He was chosen, doubtless, because he owned thieh grog-shops [laughter] and because no other member of that Board owned lour. [great laughter, f Row many merchants are there in New York City? how many mechanics? how many honest laborers who earn their daily bread by the sweat of their brows 3 how many lawyers? how many doctors? (Applause.) Well, what representation have they? What representation in the Board of Aidermen have, for instance, the ' ■merchants of New York? I will tell you. There is one shoe dealer and one junk dealer and one stove merchant. The lawyers have one, the politicians one, and all the others, including the mechanics and laboring classes, none. “Mr. Evarts followed in the same strain. “Really,'’ he said, “is it not a little hard that we should be called upon to determine, and determine 35 great odds, and to make a severe light upon the question, whether the Ijquor'dealers govern and own this city or not ? Why is it that this vast array of the good people of the city of New

York, of which you are worthy representatives, are but an uncounted mob against the organized force of these liquor dealers’ votes? Ab, gentlemen, why is it that we cannot devote our attention to it; without distraction of our purposes and of our objects in the same way that they unite gall their interests in orfiS common bond?” Such is the tyrant, in whose grasp are the business interests of the great commercial city of New York. Nor is this deplorable state of things confined to New "York or Chicago. Nd man who looked in on the last Indiana Legislature could fail to see the lootprints of the same tyrant. The New York Tribunejcommenting on the great Cooper Institute meeting says: Of what use is it to talk about poverty, destitution, squalor, misery, here and there, when it is notorious that tens of thousands are so enslaved by a vicious appetite as to be incapable of helping themselves, indifferent to the riature of their surroundings, dead to every progressive aspiration. flow can we reasonably complain of any minor evils while this gigantic one continues to hamper the Nation’s advance at every step; while this vest drain continues to carry oil a capital, '"‘one of solve every social problem that perplexes us? If this is not a practical question, then there is no such thing as practicality. It is the one overshadowing evil whose existence of necessity prevents the success of reform efforts in all other directions. It is said that the condition of the working classes is unsatisfactory, that they do not prosper as they might; the answer must be' that they can never utilize their opportunities until they are freed from the ~ curse of rum. "If it is said that our politics are corrupt, trivial, mean, it must be assumed that our politics arc mo; deeply entangled witli. the liquor rrafiic to be other thin what' they are. If sanitary questions are concerned, rum stills stands in the way ot improvement. If religioui progress ‘is discussed, the fact remains that the saloons empty the churches. If educaiibn is considered, it is notorious that the sxme degrading agency seduces Jiousands of our youth. '■ Wherever wo turn,- in short, we encounter this subtle and sinister agency. It is a blight which lies heavy upon our civilization, and which will have to be bleared away before that civifization cap become an object of just pride And satisfaction. J -J-:-: .£■■■ " ' • . < • The Star T. Umon convenSed at the usual hour at the Opera House with the ( attendance slightly '■*’ reduced on account; of the inclemency tit the weather. There being no pianist present, .music was dispensed with ?fitirely. Being left completely in the. %reh in this. the most..attract!

ure of the exercises, it was deemed expedient to devise some plan by which further trouble might be . The president, accordingly appointed Dr. Washburn, T. J. Farden and Mrs. R. S. Dwiggins as committee for that purpose. , v It is the intention, hereafter to have the children take the most active part in the singing as the Union was organiz'd mainly fo'r their pleasure and benefit. On being informed that Remington was catching the inspiration and desired to investigate the Temperance literature circulated here. The W. ! O. T. U. very kindly donated the, regtdslte amount. “ r ~ ' Several were called upon to make impromptu speeches but —no- one felt equal to the emergency. We wish to inform the citizens of Rensselaer and vicinity that we have just received a full line of gent’s fine Hats, comprising the latest novelties in stiff and soft Hats. We make it a point to keep the Best selection in this line to suit everybody.

R. F. PRIEST & BRO.