THE LEVER, Chicago, Illinois, April 10, 1884 

* Rare publication

A  prohibition newspaper which railed against the sale of alcohol. Their motto in the masthead: "No License for the Liquor Traffic in Any Form or for Any Price." Most of the content is themed on this principle.
That slogan reflected the position of the Prohibition Party and the broader temperance movement. At the time, many reformers opposed not only drunkenness but the legal sale of alcoholic beverages itself. The phrase "No License" meant that governments should not issue liquor licenses under any circumstances, rather than merely regulating alcohol sales.
Chicago in the late 19th century was a major battleground in debates over alcohol. The city had large German, Irish, and other immigrant populations for whom beer and saloons were important social institutions. Temperance advocates, many of them connected with Protestant reform movements, viewed the liquor trade as a source of poverty, crime, and political corruption. These tensions had deep roots in Chicago's history, stretching back to conflicts such as the 1855 Lager Beer Riot over liquor regulations and licensing.
Eight pages, news agent's & library stamps in the masthead, nice condition.