The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-02-01
Final Plea for Our Boys and Girls.


lege at Pullman? Have you used every
endeavor to keep clean and pure the
moral atmosphere they must breathe
Do you fully realize that it is not a
question for Pullman to settle like
any other town whose interests are all
private? In such towns the residents
have a free choice of residing there
or going elsewhere, but at Pullman is
located our State College, where our
boys and girls who desire higher edu
cation must remain a term of years
out from under our watchful eye, at
the mercy of any who are inclined to
lead them astray-and so you and
are deeply interested in this matter
of pure moral atmosphere at Pull
man.
A saloon with it's attendant, the poo
room, has the power to cOntaminate
the community for several miles, but
the farther away the less the power
The young people who are to be found
at the college, our brightest and best
are exactly the ones that Satan wishes
to reach and so he uses every endeavor
within his power to encompass them
with his allurements and accomplish
their ruin. l say ruin" for as the
twig is bent, the tree is inclined. Our
boys and girls in their school days
are in just the stage when their sur
roundings have the greatest power on
their minds, and if the saloon, with its
terrible power, be allowed full sway
many of our young men and women
will get started on downward course
that possibly only the grave will in
tercept hence their life with it's power
for good, which they would otherwise
exert, is ruined and the world will
fail in SO much of being what it should
be.
I have in mind young man who, in
high school was recognized as among
the best His father is high among the
leaders in our state and the boy was
brought up good, moral, intelligent
young man. After his graduation from
high school his parents decided to
send him to Pullman and give him
every advantage which scientific
course in college could give him, think
ing that the impetus toward the right
which he as boy had attained, coupl-
ed with the restraint of the school,
would help him in the path of recti-
tude. l have heard from this young
man that he is a steady frequenter of
the saloon and pool rooms of Pullman
and his work in school is so poor that
the faculty have several times ques-
toned the ACCESSIBILITY Of allowing him
to remain at school.
Now, this is only one case in a pos
sible thousand or so. Your boy and
mine may be another if we still al
low the saloon to have full swing
near our school. There is no young
man or woman who is proof against
the wiles of Satan if left to themselves.
They must be assisted by their friends
among those who aim to live right.
Our young men are inclined to go
where there is life and activity and
the saloon is such place. There
music and beauty are used in all their
power to lure the young man inside,
and once inside it is only a question
of time when the next step is taken
and every step downward increases
the inclination and makes it harder to
stop.
Reader think this matter over and
see if you do not feel it to be your
duty to urge your representative and
senator to pass the bill prohibiting any
saloon within five miles of our State
College? When you have so decided,
just sit down and write letters tell
ing them so. Better still, head a Pc
tition for the law and obtain all the
signatures you can and send it to me
at Tumwater, Wash, and we will use
it where it will do the most good.