The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-02-28
A PLEA FOR THE HOME

sient element, is one that is worthy of
attention and one hat will not be
difficult to realize when once the
saloons are closed. The mistake
commonly made, however, is to pro.
coed on the assumption that those who
frequent the saloons will be satisfied
with ~''reading rooms,' "harmless
games, ~ ''tea and coffee" and 'soft
drinks" and that such men will make
a practice of f~requenting such places,
when furnished in a paternalistic way
by the good citizens of a town. AS a
former Y. M. &. A. secretary, the
writer knows from observ alton and
experience that the saloons attract and
hold a class of men who IN the main
can not be reached by the most allur-
ing bait of good literature, wholesome
recreation, and temperance drinks,
minus the beer and whiskey which are
the real attraction. 1t is a fact, also,
that Y. M. G. AS and similar institu-
tions have found it best to charge
good round fees so as to make men
pay for the good things they thus en-
Joy. just as they once paid for the
booze aud for the sociability of the
saloon, with this difference, the price
charged for the good and wholesome
things was very small as compared
with the expensive pleasures of sin.
We heartily favor the suggestion,
with the emphasis upon the need of
eliminting the paternalistic idea-that
is. the idea that the no-license people
should furnish such a place for the
sake of the poor fellows who are now
just driven to the saloons because
there is no where else to 60. The mer
who frequent the saloons of Milbank
are not of the kim that will accept
the charitable offers of temper ance
people and it is the history of ali such
efforts that the saloon element has re.
manned outside of their influence.
Nothing will satisfy them but the
saloon, and their constant effort will
be TO turn the best temperance club
into a saloon.
The wholesome, harmless substitute
should indeed be furnished for those
who have not vet learned the saloon
ways, and for that small class who are
sincerely anxious to break themselves
of the saloon habit, and it should be
done pot in a paternalistic spirit 'by
the no-license people, but in a way
will not violate the self respect
of the man who a afford to pay his
way on a decent basis, as we'll as on
a saloon basis.
One great advantage of no license
will be that Milbank will thus get rid
of the most undesirable class of it's
transient elemcnt-the element which
always finds its chief attraction in the
bung-ho'e of a beer barrel, and which
will thus be compelled to move on to
Big Stone and to Ortonville.
Our resident tODers should be taught
to obey the law or to do their smok-
ing, swearing and gambling in rooms
are safe in "Hotel de Murray -
We desire to call the attention of
the rest of our citizens to an institu-
ton which has been much neglected, an
institution which ante-dates all others
which existed long before synagogue
or church, lodge or cuban institu-
ton which has suffered most by reason
of the saloons baneful influence.
namely--the HOME.
The writer. with the Methodist minis
has recently finished a house to
house anvass of our own nearly
every home was visited, and while il is
rue that Milbank has some luxurious
homes, and many more that are com
and inviting, and doubtless
has as many hat are above criticism
the average town of it's size can
BOAST, we were nevertheless impress sed
many evidences Of gross neglect
the fact that in so many places
he rooms were all too bare Of com
Orts. some of them so destitute Of the
furniture that even the small
,uarters seemed to be we'll nigh
Generally the indications were that
he housewife was neat and clean and
.areful and that she was doing the
nest possible with what she had at
and, but for some reason she had
title with which to make the home at
ractive and inviting. No-License
would do more than augbt else to put
rood carpets on these floors, to put
he necessary furniture into these
ZONES, to put good clothing upon the
children, and to enable the wife and
to take a pardonable pride
q a we'll furnished and attractive
lcme. This ought to be the "poor
Club The par]or should be
lis reading room: the drawing room,
he place where he gets acquainted
With his children, or his neighbors in
harmless games, and profitable con-
7ers alton: the dining room, the place
where ne treats his family to good
Kings t O eat and drink with his hard
earned cash, instead of passing it over
he bar to feed Injuries to tine saloon
keepers family, or to build for them a
mansion while he and his live in a
ut. No one a make better coffee
han wife and mother can, if you give
Ter money with which to buy the best,
of spending it for rum. If a
moking room is needed, what's the
natter with the garrett? No,the cellar
do, as the rising smoke would
.us pollu,e and deile the whole house,
ut it in the garnet with a ventilating
tt achment to the chimney, SO that as
! rises toward heaven, the tobacco
mOke may be neutralized by the more
fumes from soft coal.
The trouble today is that there are
too many substitutes for the
ONE. If a substitute is needed for
aloons--''what's the matter with the
ome?" Let's make them more invit-