Mexico weekly ledger., 1908-01-23
HooPEsTOE, ILLINOIS.
The Mayor Writes Rev. Q. M. Aksr
That They are Delighted With
the Result Following Local
Option Adoption.

The following letter from Mayor @.
s. Urary, Of Hoopeston, Ill.,, TO Rev.
o. NJ. Aker, pastor Of the Methodist
church OF Mexico explains itself and
at this time is OF much interest to
the voters Of Mexico and Audaln
county:
Rev. G. M. Aker, Mexico, Mo.
Hoopeston, Illinois, January l5,l9OS
Dear Slr;--I note Jour letter q the
9th ult. and that you are 10 the mast
Of a local option campaign
The argument that the revenue
from saloon license Is Of any adyaL.
tage from q financial standpoint is IN.
sound and II is a fallacy that any city
Is unable 70 raise through The :custo.
mary channels Of taxation all the rev.
enue that is needed for Its govern.
ment and maintenance.
Our rate OF taxation In HoopestOn
Is not higher than other well regulst.
ed cities, our total rate here being
about s per cent Of the assessed val
uatlon. In Nation, one of our neigh
boring elites, for example,o on their rate
is 9 per cent, and they have 10 the
neighborhood OF twenty saloons.
We have here a population Of about
1000, with two daily and weekly news
papers; free mail delivery; nearly If
teen miles Of brick and asphalt pave.
ment, and thirty miles of cement
sidewalks. We have q water works
system belonging to the city; free pub.
lie library, city hall, with other pub
lie buildings and parks which the city
owns, representing a valuation Of
$3.50. O0O. None of these Improvements
have been paid for with a single dol
lar Of license money.
We have manufacturing plants 10
Gated here that represent a value Of
at least %, 900, OO0, and employing
about 1,2oO people, which pay out an.
in wages nearly s750,0O0. In
the last three years there have been
built over 500 dwelling houses, and
more laboriug people own homes 10 \
Hoopeston than in any other city Of I
its size 10 the State Of Illinois. Do Z
you think that such a condition Is =
this could be possible In q saloon town Z
Of its size?
The very reason for II all is the %
sence OF saloons, and the element y
that naturally goes with them. This y
condition is the beat inducement o. Y
for the Investment Of capital Il
When Illinois was regarded as a par 4
Of the frontier country and times wefs \
hard and little Hamlets and village
s%pringing up over this prslrs y
they were then weak and struggling Y
and had no well defined plans pi "
municipal organization, or existenN q
syen, and under these conditions y v
vas not at all surprising that thsI !,
'hould fall under the saloon influence
believing that was an opportunity y .
)rganize and conduct a village ana n
revenue without taxation. Be
The proposition was false, and theI
-.-l M.
couldn't see It, but they have seen y Y
ince. ane In the evolution Of pro
Iressive and prosperous cities tha' y
rave come out OF these early settle
nent and a distinct policy on the s.
DON question.
We formerly had advocates on bolp
ides Of this question, but the ineHofl1
lie logic Of events and the continue
PRESENTATION Of stubborn facts bs's
onvinced the most skeptical, aud la
more than fifteen years no ~candldaE
avorable to the licensing Of saloOus& vi
lad attempted to run for office, ana
.ioopeston stands as q living prOtes' IT.
gainst the arguments that the saloon
necessary to the prosperity of DE-
1 hope you will be successful in yOuiig
ampaign, and will be glad to hear Y ~
nch result. Yours very truly, I'm
C. S. Crary ssk
Mayor of|