The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-12-04

4a1D BILLINGS GAZETTE
idiots are IN body polite; grantee
that they are here to stay until anothe,
San Francisco shake-up comes, thu
question Of midnight closing suggests
also the thought that 1t would be :
little bit OF heaven for the saloon keep.
er and a whole lot OF HE'LL for the
poor bum or personal product Of the
saloon. For on the one hand the first
would be able to cut down expenses
very materially. He could get along
with one less shift of bartenders and
swarnpers; his electric light and coal
bill would he cut in twain; and yet he
would sell just about as much booze
as before for the decent" drinker has
all he wants by midnight anyhow. And
the nan without a place to lay his
head has spent his last mite ere this.
But how about this man that has spent
all his money in the saloon and has no
place for the night? He, is now to be
kicked into the street without any pro-
lection and without a friend on earth.
He is to wander into some back alley
or old shed and there pass the night.
In the morning the records are liable
to read "a man found frozen to death"
Such would not be the case with an
open saloon. For he has spent his
money there and he is entitled to heat
and protection. The saloon man has
taken all his money. Nor would the
records SO read in dry territory.
There the poor bum would have some.
chance to work and save his money.
Then there would be an incentive to
save rather than to yield to temptation
and lose his wealth AMI manhood. Then
he would have sufficient to get a warm
bed for the night. If we are going to
allow the saloon to get the money of
these u~nfortunates, then let us see to
it that they shelter those whom they
have pauperized. Thus let it be i
derstood that the Local Option Club
has no half way measures to propose.
1t does not believe in cutting out the.
cancer by %piecebits. 1t does not be-
Ilieve in putting a poultice on the toe
for heart disease. 1t believes in going
to the root Of the matter. 1t believes
in Total Humiliation for the entire
county rather than a little dose Of
Soothing Syrup to regulate the bowels
of Billings. Billings is only a part of
Yellowstone county The country dis
tricts and small towns would not be
helped in the least by midnight clos
ne here. They would still be enslaved.
The Local Option Club has the good Of
the entire county at heart. Its object
is to free the entire area of this dis
trict from the baneful and malicious /
curse of the saloon.
Lets see what the proposed COM
promise means in plain figures,
Saving to Brewery by midnight closing !
and hours Sunday.
Assuming IS saloons owned
by the brewery, 25 men at
$4,000 per month $3.50. 2,25O.O0
25 men 4 Sundays at $3.... 10000
$2,55O:0o
Actual amount of actual
liquor sold .............. 100000
Actual amount saved by work
ingmen to families for
clothing, furniture ..... OOO.O
Actual amount saved by
community outside Of the
saloons and affiliated in
terests ..... ............ 100000
Saved by the brewery per
month 1905. ........... $2,25Q.Oo
Saved by the brewery per
mum ...... !. ..$27,0 OO. 90
This is compromising with temper
with a vengeance. How long
will some Of our leading business men
lend themselves to the liquor interests
49, 80 ~ - IL ID. I