The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-10-04
correspondent signing himself

A correspondent signing himself
"Traveler," writes us rom Winnebago
CITY as follows:
| have just read in your columns q
timely warning to the young men ofyour
city against a life Of dissi patton, a warm
ing made more impressive by your re-
ference to the tragedy of Wednesday.
trust that YOUR earnest words may be
needed. | am led to also inquire where
the Young man secured his liquor? Was
it not in the saloons of Mankato? Who
authorized the opening of those saloons?
Was it not the city council2 Who elected
the city council? Was it not the voters
of your city? 1t seems to me that your
citizens "have had another awful warn
ing OF The consequences of opening pit
falls for your young men.
Our correspondent is right, the oc-
currence In question was warming to
cItizens-and Of kind which are be-
coming frequent and portend that in the
not far future the right thinking people
of the country must join in demand
that the saloon be closed at all hazards.
But there are many sides to this great
question, and greatly diverse opinions
are held regarding tie suppression of the
evil by equally good people. 1t is these
facts which prevent that union of pub
lie sentiment which 10 necessary before
the curse can be removed. But it is a
poor presager of the future who cannot
see that the time is rapidly approaching
when the proper union will be made
and the evil be removed.
Until that time comes, and, in fact,
whether it comes or not there is some
thing else to be done-by the people and
the young men themselves. Rev. Bar
bour pointed out this in his excellent
discourse at the Presbyterian church
Sunday morning. There must he re-
straint by the parents in early years
teach the youth IN the way he should
go, etc Again, the parent should have
strict code of morals for himself and
let his son see that he has one and lives
up TO it. A boy is not going to shun bad
places or bad ways if he sees his father
does not. Then, on the part of the
young man there should be not alone
good principles but the manhood to live
up to them. There must be strength o.
will to avoid evil associations, and in
this day of the world there are few in
deed who can honestly say that in an eff
fort to live an upright, moral life they
found no one to aid them. 1t is oftenel
the case that, the free and easy being
the more agreeable, the scruples and
good resolutions are surely but almost I'M
perceptibly allowed to lose their hold
and from that time the work of ruin
! finds plenty to aid it.
The feelings aroused by the recital o.
some such case as that ofthe young mar
in question are not all sentimentality, al
those who aid in the work of des:ruc
ton are likely soon to realize, and vet i
perhaps may be questioned whether the
end Is more than fastened by these
sinister influences. The young man who
has not those well-grounded principles
which prompt him to the good rather
than the vile, or who is too weak in the
elements of manhood to Withstand 6
course which he knows perfectly wei
will carry him to sure disgrace, doel
not, we fear, need the open saloon t.
| hurry him to that pOint