The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-12-10

the old regime, and others have pro-
posed that if the state administration
lets up, we raise any Of one
necessary to prevent such catastrophe.
During my residence of nearly
seventeen years il this city. conditions
were never SO good as they are at pres
ent time in every department Of our
civic life.
| hope that the conservative business
men of every city in the state may be
convinced of the truth or these state
ments
Yours truly.
G. J.. BROKAW. Cashier.
Some Lawyers Suffered.
There is only one line Of business
that has been injured. namely, the
business of certain lawyers. BY rea-
son of the act that people are paying
their debt instead of being sued. pay
ing their mortgages instead of permit
ting foreclosure, leading honorable
lives instead of committing crimes, be-
ing dutiful husbands instead of being
sued for divorce for drunkenness. the
business of these Law yers have been
wonderfully reduced The only per
sons l know Of in our city beWailing
the closing Of the saloons are the
criminal and divorce aWyers
Reduction Of Expenses.
Not only has the closing of the sa-
looms helped business, but it has Won
dcrfully reduced the expenses of L
ty ana city. During the past twelve
months we ave saved in the prosecu-
ton of criminals III county and cit.
more than the revenue ever received
from them in an equal period. Our
police force has been educed and we
no longer have need e a detective
force. Thieves md burglars haV fol-
lowed the saloon oEt Of the city. While
it formerly require. two months OF
each term of court to try. the criminal
cases. it now requires scarcely two
weeks, and the last term of the CourC
of Common Pleas opened Without u
criminal case for trial.
Time and again the daily papers
chronicle the fact that not a single
arrest has been made i' tWentE-four
CT forty-eight hours. Time Il again
has the police judge called for the
first case" on Monday morning, to
be informed by q grinning clerk that
there was no first case. Suc condi-
ti0ns were unheard Of when we had
open aloons.
\ Contrast.
1t is true some drunken men are ar
rested by our police, but this is not
| strange when YOU remember u city
is only separated from Kansas City.
Mo. by an imaginary state line, and
that as soon as you cross this mag
mary line into Missouri the streets are
lined With saioons- The main thor
O1SfllGIe CotilC~ilhS ~ ~ 49, =
known as Central avenue in Kansas
| and Ninth street when YOU step over
the line into Missouri. If you pass
down this street you VIII lind on the
Kansas side a clean street and hear
only the hum Of legitimate business;
but when you step across the state
line YOU Will find tUelty-seven saloons
in one block and the street almos
blocked with drunken men. Every
door but one on both SIDES Of the street
for a block is a salo on-the Wettest
block in all the wide world on the
Kansas side a woman MAY walk in
safety. with no fear Of harm. Il no
insulting sights; but tire mar who
ak on the Missouri: side takes his
life in his hand and hears words toe
foul for human ears A minister OF
our city making the journey told his
congregation that tho only thing his
imagination could likcn it unto would
be stepping from a churchyarG into
hell.
An Awful Sight.
A few weeks ago the chief of po-
lice of our city in speaking of this
wet block just across the state line
said prior to Sunday closing in Kansas
City. Mo. the saloons We're kept open
all Saturday night, and in the back
rooms drunken men We're piled or
top of each other, resembling a trench
at the close of a great battle wher
dead are heaped upon the dead. But
said he, when Sunday closing came
in Missouri, midnight Saturday night
produced a scene that words car
scarcely describe" In order that he
may lock up, the sa4oCn-keeper forces
his drunken customers out into the
street, and in that one block at mid
night Saturday night Will be found a
mob of 500 or 500 men. cursing and
swearing. quarreling and fighting, stag
gering and falling. cutting and shoot
ing. The combined police force Of thS
two cities is unable to cope with them
It is said that at times the street ears
are unable to pass that point because
of drunken men StreUn Owe the street
BY and by when the crowd hin out
those who are so run they cannor
get home are taken by the patrol wa.
gons to the police station and booked
as .'drunkS.'
Can Law Be Enforced?
There are some people who believe
the law prohibiting sunday saloons
cannot be enforced. About a dozeT
years ago ! made a clipping of an as
tonishing statement from a New Yorl
paper. 1t stated that the mayor OF
the city had called the liquor dealer: