The Forrest City times., 1900-05-04
"A Calamity"

The editor of THE TIAEs sees in the possible defeat of whisky in Fsrrest City next September no gosd onsn. He speaks of it a calamity bsisiling the town,~ and the only solses hs has for our municipal scl0ns is tn the iR. evitabls triumph of licsnse. In fact, 90 great would be the calamity on one hand, aud yet co uncsrtxin 10 1t on the other, that the editor sesms to have d. most gone into histories on the subjsct. He seems to trsmble at the more pcs sibllity" of such . thing, bat giows suddenly steady xs hs catches the thought that in it thsre is not "preb- ability.' He first rsfsrs ts it as : '.grxye concern" ts our councilmsn, and then, xs if rsassariug himself, hs says: "Ssriously there is nothing tn 1t"
 can't recall whom our kind editor has written with sush . nervous hand ss in this instance. Having such Sp opinion of the removal of tue saieens from us. great indeed would be his dis. tress did he feel as certain of our vic. tory ss ws do. Hut I want to oifsr ' little comfort to my brother and all these who take so serious and e nor bid view sf the possible" victory of tho temperance cause in our city at the forthcsming September election.
 A few moments of rehection ought to satisfy every candid psrs0n that such . victory pestsnds no evil te Fer. rest City. Te guy nothing of the moral and social evils whicl, smanxte from the saloons, and the loss of life which they have caused, and which in the minds oe seoe does net sesm to merit even passlsg notice in the eensidera. ton of this question; the editor sssas t0 have entirely overlooked the fact that the very pressues Of ssiooss in Forrest City has brought about the no. csssity ot building. CT rebuilding. new city hall. Had 1t nos been for whisky in this place is would today have city hall. And % the 3sstruetion of tho former ono vas brought about by the saloon. is would bs well to consider the possibility" of like '.cals,aity' ? bsfxlline the contemplated now OAs. Thsse are facts with which our brother may dispel hls fears of the financial wreck of Forrsst City iu the ''possible' success oe "prOhibitionists."
 The editor says: ''It is estimsted that should such ' calamity bsfall the town, city scrip would drop to ten csnts Atrest lighting and city water works would be abandoned. street and general city improvement come to . standstill, and that, therefore, to issue $loO0 oi 5000 in scrip would involve the city ir endless dsbt." Such. he thinks. would be tho friehtful condition confronting our city officials. xad kv it the people are to be deterrsd from voting out sx ioons. But is this estimate correct Had you thought what it involved! D1 you not sss that to the world 1t show. wp Forrest City in most unsnvizbl, and hunilisting light? The estimate simply means. if true, that thsse "a looms run Forrest City by giv' ing it support as ulus:ci pslity: !t follows then that al our city eonveniences and comforti and luxsriss, aud general improve lasuts are snjoysa xt the exclusive ex psnss of cur poor, dissipatsd couatTy nsighberstwith the unfortunate whisky drinking slsnent of tho towu.) ThsJ light our city, they supply it witt water, thsy make eur sidswAlks, the, pave oar streets, they make general city mprovsmsnts-and that too xbso lutsly free to us who do not pxtronix, the saloons; because tho estimxts goel 50 far as te include general city in. provsUent" in addition to other itsml specified, implying that there wouls not bs means with which to carry 0, any one of those things. much less xll o them. Then ws turn right round ans say to these country nsiehbors aud th' world: Hook what . progressive eity we have Sec what her emterprisinI citizens have dene!" This would :b, the basest hypocrisy. Nobody but con temptibls prstender would make suci . boast. The 'enterprising" citizens would have nothing ts do with it, | this theory were correct, the whisk, drinkers would have done this fo them. the most of whom live outsid, the city. Besides, those of us who sup ported such . policy would bs but pub lie plundsrers seixiae upon the spoil Of our epslsved feilownen.
 The question of revenue is siway, tho ground our opponents take in con tending :0r the saloon. They try ts make It appear that the city must col lapse without . salvop. This 1 deny The thought is prspostsrous iu itself But supposins the argument were true