e sky in proportion to
population.

Along with this adulteration of the drink has gone the degeneracy of
the saloon and the seller. The day was when officers in churches could
sell liquor and retain their membership. Today the saloonkeeper is
barred from the protestant churches, barred from Masons, Odd Fellows,
Knights of Pythias, Red Men, Woodmen, Maccabees and nearly every other
fraternal organization of the world.

The saloon itself has become such a vicious resort, that when the
police look for a murderer they go to the saloon. When any vile
character is sought for, the saloon is searched. When anarchists meet
to plan for a Hay-market murder in Chicago, they meet in the saloon.
When an assassin plans to shoot down our President at an exposition,
he goes from the saloon. When a fire breaks out in Chicago or Boston
the first order is, close the saloons. Don't close any other business
house, but close the saloon. If a mob threatens Pittsburg, Cincinnati,
or Atlanta, close the saloons. If an earthquake strikes San Francisco,
close the saloons. In our large cities gambling rooms are attached to
the saloons with wine rooms above for women, and while our boys are
being ruined downstairs, girls are destroyed upstairs.

There are many thousands of women in painted shame, who would now be
safe inside life's Eden of purity but for the saloon. The South Side
Club of Chicago said in 1914: "The back rooms of four hundred and
forty-five saloons on only three streets of this city contribute to
the delinquency of fourteen thousand girls every twenty-four hours."
Is it any wonder the saloons hide behind green blinds or stained glass
windows?

There is a fish in the sea known as the "Devil Fish." It lies on its
back with open mouth and covers itself with sea moss. Over its open
mouth is a bait. When an unsuspecting fish nibbles at the bait, with a
quick snap it is caught and devoured. Do you see any analogy between
this fish and a certain business that hides itself behind painted
windows or green blinds and hangs out a bait of "free lunch" or
"Turtle Soup"? A fish that sets a trap for its kind is called a "Devil
Fish;" a business that does the like is recognized as a legitimate
trade and permitted for the sake of revenue.

Every other recognized business has improved in quality with the
years. The saloon has grown worse and worse, until it is bad and only
bad; bad in the beginning, bad in the middle, bad in the end, bad
inside,