XXXII
THE ALCOHOLIC TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT
San Francisco, October 22d.
To Editor of New York Newspaper which is often read by all Japanese who can afford it, I assure you.
Dear Sir—I am given to be told by some wise Editors, etc., that these U. S. is now enjoying the temperance of Prohibition in many States and more too. Although I can not notice such a movement in this street, perhaps it is slightly true. In several sections of this kingdom whisky-drunking is becoming unknown by law, salooners is quitting that sinfulness & all bar-keeps is retiring from that public office. In South, army of reform is playing “Marching Through Georgia” on water-pitchers. Is this a truthful news what I hear? I enquire to know, so I can go there, please.
By newspaper print I read this early morning: “Wave of temperance against salooners is creeping in direction of New York.” First I greet this with glad banzai, then I am depressed of thought. Wave of temperate prohibition is on road to New York, but will it arrive there? And if it should do this, what will happen to it when got there? That is problem for Japanese Boy.
And yet I am earnest to say it. Prohibition of drunk is a comfortable blessing to demand, because it is very difficulty for white persons to be tame when exposed to wild beverages. Irish, Swedish, Italian & Jewish is most useful for calamities by feeding them whisky. Japanese is also too patriotic when enjoying bun-bun.
In the great cities of America where persons is brought together for living over each other by sky-scrape apartment the sell of whisky spoil the low layers of society. Labouring classes stop being it because of alcohol poison and other ingredients to be found in it. Labourer so poisoned can not support dear wife & child because he is resting in jail for what he done. This is especially true of Chicago.
Tip-top layers of society also enjoy poison from this liquour curse, but they are less pitiful because they do not rest in jail. Salooners must not be forsaken by wealthy persons because these can still be respected when least respectable. But salooners must be closed up from low layers of society which must continue to work and keep up appearances of great city. If not these, who would?
Whisky is divided into four kinds of bottle by following statistick: