The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-04-10
A STRIKING CONTRAST

SietNS VII Opvusibe I5tutS III ILL
Red River With Equal Adj
yantages,
Under the aoove caption Rev. 8.
g. Stevens, formerly pastor Of the Nj.
i. church in Mitchell, contributes
an important article to the Rants
Horn, from which a leader Of The
Republican asks that we print the
following extracts with such COM
ments as he sees fit to make:
"Ten years of prohibition on the
Dakota side OF the river iustjfies the
policy. The records show the follow
ing astonishing results: please read
the figures carefully
Arrests for drunken
ness in Grand Forks, i43 I6
Disorderly conduct, 10 ii
Houses of prostitution, So 0
Population OF six river
counties in n. D., 1890 1IO645
Arrests in same, 1855 4l6
"A more striking comparison. pre-
senting a daily living evidence, is to
be seen in the n%eigllboring citiesSof
Grand Forks, n. d.. and East Grand
FORKS, MINI. The Dakota city has 4
population of nearly 1900 and q
school census OF 1900 children, who,
DAY by dap, are free from the blight
ing stencil and presence OF the saloon.
and who are comparatively free from
even the sight of a drunken man in
the home city, East Grand Forks.
With q population OF 5000, has forty
Two saloons, one for each seventeen
OF its boys and girls. a gentleman
OF long residence andcareful obserya-
ton said recently, East Grand Forks
is an Illustration Of a community
Wholly given over to the saloon
THE valuation of property in thei
saloon town is S3S4OoO and the bonded
Indebtedness is 26 per cent of that
amount. while there are outstanding
debts, deficiencies and unpaid war
rants to the amount of $50, 600 more.
Ihe tax levy is 20 per cent niehe.
than in Grand Forks, N. d.. not
Withstanding that S2I 900 is derived,
from the saloons, and with all this
the city IS running behind $4,000 to
$40, 600 each year. There are no efi-
clent improvements. Only one-third
OF a mile OF paving and one mile Of
sewerage. The only municipal utility
Is an electric light plant valued at
81 5000. The estimated expenses of
running the city the present year is
$40, ESQ. appropriations for salariesl
are $40, 000. The city treasurer I'M
1892 was found to be 81, 500 short in
his accounts two months before the
expiration of his term Of Office. TheI
explanation, IL any is needed, mayi
be found in the fact Of gambling as
ISOLATED with the saloons. many of
are both gambling and drink
ing hells. Another significant eSpla-
is in the words Of a man Who'll
knew the inside when he said .sthe
graft. What greater proof can peI
had OF the righteousness of the whole
business than this, that the entire
horde Of office holders, stool pigeons
and cappers demand a "divpy.n
Here is the stamp CT illegitimacy int
spite Of the fact that license is
paid. The old argument, worn so
threadbare, that license money
builds a city, payes the streets and
lays sidewalks, is again proven false
In this town.
In striking contrast with this Isl
the city OF Grand Forks N. ID. With
teh years of prohibition in which to
make it a "dead town. having re-!l
ceived not n cent of blood money
it has all the equipments of al
modern city. Assessed property
valuation is SO, 500. coo, and instead
Indebtedness hers Is but So per cent.
Grand Forks has ten miles of paved
streets, an electric light plant, sever
system, and Waterworks with ii fiiteri
costing $45, 600. There are efI1cientl
improvements on every side. City
warrants are at par-bonds above
par. The active elements in Grand
Forks are those of the Y. M. c. A.,
the library, church, college, civic
federation. and the dominatingl
thought of its citizens, a cleaner,
bigger, better city
The proofs are multiplying every
where that under equal conditions
the anti-saloon cities and towns of
America hold an immense adyantagel
over those that harbor the saloon.
That the tendency of the saloon
afflicted communities is downward is
coming to be more and more adj
mitted on every hand. Thoughtful
men anc women now pause and con-
slider before seeking homes in places
where saloons exist to endanger|
their SON and daughters.
Where saloons exist it is freely con-
fessed that gambling, prostitution,
official intidelity, and moral decline,
If not already persent, are as sure
to follow as the night the day.
Reader.
RaggssGgaU;zE3s Ys
II ggRES WHERE Az. Else FAILS. E
BE- Rest Cough syrap. TASTES Good Use -