one evening
_within one hour and a half_. On a certain evening in Milwaukee _four
hundred sixty-eight persons were seen to enter a single saloon, most
of whom were young men and boys_.

The question is often asked how it is that society tolerates such a
confessed violator of law and order as the saloon has demonstrated
itself to be. If an individual defied the law as a large number of the
saloon keepers do, he would be quickly punished. Nay, more, if a poor,
starving man steals a loaf of bread to appease his gnawing hunger, or
to save the life of his starving family, he is sent to prison, _that
the majesty of the law may be vindicated_. But when a saloon-keeper
breaks the law in keeping open on Sunday in selling liquor to minors,
or in making his saloon a rendezvous for women of bad repute, nothing
is said because (1) of the moral apathy throughout the web and woof of
Christian society; (2) professing Christians are more loyal to
party-hacks and demagogues than they are to their own homes and their
country, (3) the saloon is a unit in its voting strength, loyal to its
tools and relentless to its foes, and the voting power of the saloon
element in any great city when united with the voting strength of the
Christian element in either of the great parties, turns the scales for
the minions of the rum power. Let me illustrate. In Chicago there is
about 5,600 saloons. These saloons will average not less than two
voters to the saloon, the proprietor and the bar-keeper; as a matter
of fact, I expect four votes would come nearer the correct figures, as
numbers of saloons have several bar-tenders. But placing the number at
two, we have a voting strength of 11,200. Now each one in this army
can surely influence _four persons_, many can influence from six to
ten votes, but placing the figures at four, we have the enormous total
of 44,800 voters to be added to the 11,200 engaged in the traffic,
giving a startling aggregate of 56,000 voters, which the saloon power
can count on with reasonable certainty, when any measure affecting its
interests is to be acted upon, or when persons are to be elected who
can enforce or ignore laws enacted to restrict the liquor evil. This
argument presented to the political parties is usually irresistible;
they simply permit the saloon element to dictate its policy and its
candidates. And against this army of home destroyers, this solid
battalion of evil, this power which prostitutes political integrit