Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-03-24
GOOD sAMARITANs IN A NEW ROLE.

EDITOR HERALD: AT the last regular
meeting of the city council application
was made by one Sophia Johnson for
permission to sell intOxicants in south
Aberdeen on the unexpred license of IA
woman named May stanley, who lately
kept a dance hall on this side Of the river
This license was, according to the word
ing on its face, am told, not transfer
able, and majority of the council de-
cided accordingly, yet in spite of this
Tact, and in the face of the prohibitory
laws OF our state, at special session, at
which were present Councilmen Trask,
Taft, Thomas, Fetterman. Stewart and
Hood, transfer was granted, Mr.. Stew
art alone voting "no." This transfer vir-
| tually amounted to granting free license;
for how can the council transfer that
which is "not transferable ?''
am told that in extenuation of their
action the councilmen are pleading that
the woman is poor and has largo fam
lily to support. Well, if this be true,
what a delightful charity it is which
moves rnen to aid a mother in consignng
her hapless offspring to surroundings
most degrading and debasing, and, reared
by such a mother, who can guess to what
depths of depravity these children may
ultimately descend? Alas for such char
| ity! Why not help the woman to some
more honorable occupation? Or, instead
of giving her from the city funds the cost
of the license, why did not these humane
city fathers 90 down into their own pock-
cts?
But was charity the "moving why
they did it?" 1t is common talk about
town that the city attorney had nego;i-
ated the sale Of the stock of the Stanley
woman Gas an Attorney conditioned upon
the transfer of the license, and notwith-
standing her alleged poverty Mrs. John
son is said to have deposited with him
| $62, which was to be paid to May STAN
| ley when the license was transferred
Now, is Mrs. johnson really poor and
burdened with helpless children. as these
good Samaritans would have us believe?
know Of my own knowledge that she is
not. do not profess to know the full
extent of her property, but do know
that she owns scow where she made
her living keeping boarders she also
owns two-story house and a lot in South
Aberdeen, half a dozen lots in Melbourne,
several COWS, some pigs and chickens.
Added to this, nature has given her AM
azonan strength, so that she seems am
ply fitted to get through life without the
aid of men who can see no other means
Of aiding the helpless than by granting
her free license to deal in Intoxicating
liquors. AS to the children; the youngest
is, believe, of school age, and the eldest
has been earning wages for some time
past. Homes could be provided if neces-
sary for these children where they would
secure such training as is not possible in
a saloon.
AS woman and mother, believing
that the morals of this community must
influence the moral character of the little
| ones whom God has entrusted to my
keeping, l protest against this action,
and insist that we have a right to ex
pect better of a majority of our council
men, who were supported largely at the
polls because OF belief that they were
Christian men, and further, some Of
them are, by the pledge OF their honor,
bound to act otherwise. A MOTHER.