The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-07-03
WHAT THE ARGUS SAID
TWO SHORT YEARS AGO
II Then )q9oUnCed Saloon Men as Anarchists and Grim
nas and Said 1t Would Never FOrSaAe
Its Principles

believes that nearly all VI YOU are
pretty good people as saloon keepers
run. and that you are in favor OF OBJ
serving the laws Of your country. In
deed, you demonstrate that you DO
have regard for the wishes of society,
by keeping your places of business
closed on Sunday as required by law;
but yet you spoil the effect and lay
yourselves open 20 severe criticism
by letting it be understood that you
are in sympathy with, if not uphold
ing, those who defy the law.
How do you suppose the public at
large look upon the open defiance OF
law which has existed on the past two
Sundays? Only few Of you are
guilty because you do not eXpel your
anarcnistiC members or make some
effort to bring them within the limits
of common everyday decency. The
public cannot DO otherwise than to
bring the following charges against
each and every 0ne OF you:
Through being veal, and vacillating
with the saloon keepers. they propose
to be our masters.
By giving licenses to whoever asked
for them, We have brought in to our
midst men who have regard neither
for us nor our laws. Their only aim
and object is to make money.
To make money they propose to
make all respectable business houses
stand to one side as being of second
airy importance.
To make mOney they propose to do
all in their power TO entice innocent
girls and boys of our city into their
resorts, that they may lose their self
respect and become prostitutes,
tOughs and drunkards-thrOugh side
doors and private boxes.
To make money they propose to
keep open every moment Of the year
in order that not a nickle may escape
them.
To make money they propose to fill
the city with fallen women, in order
that more men may be drawn hither
to grovel in the lowest depths of deg
radiation and sin.
That is the way the public looks at
this anarchistic outbreak Of yours,
fellow citiiZens and now. being sus-
piciOus that you mean to stop at moth
ing. it is only natural that many
should accuse you on the least prov
Ocation Of drugging and robbing your
patrons, to say nothing of even more
awful deeds
A prominent business man. and one
who has not the reputation OF being
a temperance man, recently said to
the writer: "Tll tell you, Mr.. Shower
man; these saloon men are criminals
at heart and they break our laws just
to show they can't be controlled. If
there was to be law enacted which
called for them to close only from II
until | Saturday night, every last men
of them would violate that law. They
seem to take deViliSh pleasure in dis
Obeying the edicts laid down by sOci-
ETY. They seem to hate society, the
law, government and everything that
is calculated to restrain men or make
them nObler or better"
Some of your number do not like
the Argus. for some reason. and have
ordered it discontinued. Perhaps it
is not the kind Of a paper you would
like your patrons to read. yet not one
of you can say that it has used other
wise than hOnOrably. 1t has said
nothing harsh of any one of you. in
dividually. 1t would not smash your
establishments and goods with a
Ratchet. but it tells you frankly that
it would forever destroy the liquor
business if it could encourage people
never to drink that which destroys
their health and leads them into all
sorts of deviItry You, yourselves.
will not deny that your patrons would
be far better off with money in their
pockets and whiskey out Of their
stOmachs and brains. The Argus has
no hesitation in taking money for sub
scrlptiOn, but it cannot consent to ad-
vertise for you. When the writer
bought the Argus, he dropped about
$40 per month Of saloon ADVERTISE
ments. because he could not con
scienciOusly insert them. This fact.
together with sundry advice against
drinking and law breaking. offended
several among you, and you stopped
the paper.