The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1900-05-18

ky selling is forbidden and honce
not expected, and when drunken
ness and crime do occur they are
more noticeable. But when sa-
looms are lcgalizcd and run open
on our streets such things are ex-
pectcd and looked upon as matters
of course. Anything will appear
worse when forbidden than when
it has the sanction of the law, and
is always more noticeable when it
proceeds from an unexpected
source. Let one of the min.
listers Of Forrest City enter
a saloon, get drunk and 60 upon
the street in that condition, and it
will be in the car and mouth of
every person in town. But let
some poor old topper or habituaI
drinker do the same thing and
who will give it notice? Some
figures on this point later.
The editor further says: "Our
convictions are that prohibition
and local option is failure. y =
Those who drink whisky will
drink just as much, in many cases
moro when they have the handy
jug, than they do now" This Is
the same old chestnut, and with.
out a vestige of proof. If this be
true, then | ask why it is that
whisky men do all in their power
for license when they could sell as
much or more liquor, and that too
at less cost, without license? If
local option be a failure why
did the inhabitants of Hawaii pc.
tition congress to prohibit the Ii
ccnsing of saloons within those is
lands, and why has the house of
representatives passed bill grant
ing that petition? If the editors
Convictions" be true, how is it
the state of Massachusetts, when in
an official investigation was made
in 1894, the very contrary was es.
tablished in over three hundred
and fifty towns and cities where
the test was made? Let my brother
doubt not--statistics are forthcom-
ing.
1t is mere idle talk to say that
men will get more whisky ont of
the "handy jug" than out of the
handy saloon. Hundreds of men,
old and young, will enter the con.
venient and gilded saloon for mix
ed and choice drinks from cut
glass and silver cups, under its
dreamy light, who would conside
1t degradation of their manhood
to stink away into the foul hole of
a blind tiger to drink only rot-gut
whisky. Nothing is surer to allure
to mis- ruin the unsuspecting young
man than the exciting scenes and
deoeitful pleasures OF the open sa.
loon.
1t is the fascinating smile, the
halfopen lips, the yawning mouth
the shining teeth, the swapping
jaws, the very throat "and belly
of hell" Beware of the open sa-
loon.
1t is a fact none will deny that
in Forrest City several persons
lost their lives last year from the
effects of whisky procured at the
saloons in Forrest City, two of
these having been eremated by the
burning of the city station house.
Yet the editor reasons upon these
sad events as follows: "The fact
that two or more lives were lost
IN Forrest City last year as the re-
suit Of whisky drinking, or that
the town lost a $1,000 building
from the same cause, does not in
anywise prove that the open sa.
loon is responsible for it. 1t might
have occurred under local option.
Whisky drinking may have done
so, without the saloon being pres
ent." Such argument is travesty
on logic, an outrage upon reason,
With as much sense you could say
that because / had killed a man /
should in nowise be held respon-
sible for it, as the murder might
have been committed by some
other man had 1t not been for me.
This passage in the editors reply
needs no further comment; it is
the climax of absurdity.
The editor would have you
understand that l offered no proof
that his OBSTINATE" of "a calamity"
upon Forrest City was false, and
would make it appear that all the
revenue this town can command
aside from the saloons is less than
$4,000 per annum and less than is
absolutely necessary to meet run
ming expenses, and that the with
drawal of saloons would result in
sad depreciation of scrip. AID.
hitting that $4,000 is all the reve-
nuc this Nown could command
without saloons, we would be none
a r. ~ a