The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1899-01-14
4 STRONG COMMUNICATIONS
From Judge A. 7. Roane, OH the
Saloon Question,
In Which There is Much Food for Re-
Election,

MCKENZIE. TENN. Jan. 5.-(Spccial)-No
political campaign has caused as much dis
cussion and work in this place for many
years as has the result of the citizens meet
ing. The town being fully awake, heavy
war Is being waged upon the saloons by at
beast two-thirds OF the legal voters within
the city limits. A committee composed of
the most prominent influential men OF this
town. at the instruction of the citizens club,
| will go before the general assembly and re-
quest them to repeal the charter OF Mcken-
xie, presenting to the aw-makng Eody their
reasons- and the long lists OF crime which
has been committed by intoxicated persons
in this place in the last few years
GRENADA, MISS, JAN. 10th, 1899.
Dear Sentincl:-I hand you the above
clipping from THE Commercial APP
peal Of the 9th inss. and request its
publication in your next issue. 1t will
call the attention of the people of Gre
NADIA County to the bllghting effects of
the saloon upon a town in Tenn. about
equal in population to Grenada. Why
these public meetings OF the best cili-
zsn>? Why send Il committee to APP
peal to the Legislature to repeal the
charter of the town and thus destroy
the saloon? because of the long list
OF crime committed by intoxicated
PERSONS" Is it possible that the good
people of Grenada county wish to re
store this monster evil and have a long
list of crime to deface our court dock
cts? This is the inevitable consequence
of the reign of the saloon in every
community. Are our people willing to
be taxed TO continue the courts for
weeks to try violations of the law,
growing out Of crimes committed by
poor frail mortals while intoxicated?
Are our people not satisfied with a
quiet, sober population living in har
mony and peace. Was there ever in
the history OF our good city less drunk
enness upon our streets than during |,
the last twelve months? We have no
drunken brawls, no street fights, no
ulgar language, no swearing and Of
fensive conduct upon our public streets.
Our wives and children can go upon
our street at all times without fear OF
meeting drunken men and hearing in
decent language.
This state Of affairs will all pass away
when the saloon is restored. 1t is the
prolific source of crime of all grades.
Gambling, drunkenness, debauchery,
street brawls, murder, swearing, pow
erty and want, all these l charge
against the saloon, and more, it is the
place of rendezvous of the criminal clas-
ses OF all shades and gro'leS. l have
heard hundreds OF criminals when con-
vcted of crime try 10 excuse themselves
by pleading drunkenness as the cause.
The liquor traffic is not only useless
and wasteful but it necessitates the ex-
penditure Of vast sums OF public money
for police supervision, criminal prose-
cutions, jails, penitentiaries and
poor houses. The small revenue re-
ceived in the way of license tax will
not pay one fourth of the additional
costs imposed upon the people on ac-
count OF the increased criminal prose-
cution. The money spent in the saloon
haG far better be thrown into the sea.
1t seems to me that the economic spcct
of the saloon question ought to chal-
lenge the attention OF those 'rho are
insensible to its moral aud social in.
Auence. The diversion of SO large
sum Of money from the Legitimate trade !
OF our city and county must effect the
injuriously. The saloon
element in our city has already caused |
a considerable expenditure Of the peo-
pies money in two efforts made during
tho last several months to establish the
saloon 10 our city. It is creditahle to
our population that they have failed in