The Grenada sentinel., 1898-11-19
AN ADDREss.
BY Prominent Citizens, to the People of
Grenada County.

BY Prominent Citizens. to the People o
| Grenada County.
| FELLOW-CITIZENS 1T has come tc
our ears that petition is being circu
lated in the county for another local
option election, and We desire to put
all our friends on their guard before
the petition is presented for their sig.
natures.
For nearly four years Grenada coun'
ty has enjoyed immunity from the
reign Of the saloon, and every unbiased
citizen cannot fail to note the social
and moral Improvement that has come
to US as Il result.
There are no drunken brawls upon
our streets to frighten our children
and disgrace our town, no open pitfalls
to decoy our boys and sdebauch
our men, no smiling tempter standing
in wide open doors to allure the unwa-
ry and secure the hard earnings Of the
weak and wayward, but there is an at
mosphere OF sobriety and a condition OF
citizenship that has challenged our
highest admiration. We do not want
to go back to the dark days when the
open saloon beclSoned our boys from
every corner and the social glass tempt
ed our: citizens away from the path OF
temperance and moral rectitude. Our
ladies can now 60 upon our streets at
any time without fear of molestation
from drunken rowdies, and they ap.
peal to the chivalry and manhood of all
our men not to bring back the old days
when they walked the streets with
great trepidation.
A contest is always to be avoided it
possible, and especially during the
busy days OF the cold winter, but we
announce in advance our purpose and
our readiness to meet the issue, and to
contend for every inch Of the ground
in every legitimate way.
An election will be very expensive to
our county, besides entailing consider
able trouble and annoyance upon our
people.
We unde rstand that number of our
citizens have been induced to sign this
petition already, but we are sure that
after mature deliberation they will
have their names erased. This we urge
hem to do at their earliest opportu-
1ity. 1t Is always manly as we'll as
light to correct a wrong when it has
'een committed. Surely no true man
will lend his name and influence to |
,ring back an evil which means ruin
o so many Of his fellow-men merely to
urnish himself an opportunity to graf
fy his own unfortunate appetite when
10 comes to town. The open saloon is
N unmixed evil and no amount of le-
,al restraint can dignity it sufficiently
o give it respectability. 1t is not,
therefore, an issue between the friends
# the ''blind tiger' and the so-called
aw-abiding people whose console noes
re so sensitive that they must
ave the open saloon, but it is an issue
etween the liquor interest with all its
iabolical meanness on the one hand
nd the liberty-loving, God-fearing
eople on the other. It is the home
gainst the saloon, and surely no man
hould hesitate long to choose his side.
large majority of the best men and
ine-tenths Of the good women of the
ounty appeal to you to save them from
be curse OF the open saloon.
We do not want an election on this
ubject at present, and we send out this
'arning to you to refrain from signing
MS petition because OF the unnecessary
nnoyance and expense that it will
ause.
We appeal to that sense of right in
he human breast which recognizes the
lpremacy of God and His law
YER all things, and beg you in His
anne not to lend your influence to do
vii. M. G. DUBARD,
W. G. MCLEAN,
A. T. RoANE, |
J. W. MALONE, Il
T. W. LEWIS,
J. w. LEE,
Committee.