Mexico weekly ledger., 1908-05-21
POWERFUL ADDRESS.
Rev. Father cofey Speaks to .
Large Andiene Of voters In
Favor ofL0eal option.

Monday night The Circuit Court
rurn IN Mexico was packed With vot-
|emof Mexico, who n interested in
the local option question J. W.
MnlI0n. president o. the Anti-SaioCn
Aaoeaatlon, presided over this mag
nlHceut audience, and made . stro0g
opening address. Father Dillon, pas
TOR a 81 Rrenden,s Catholic church,
Of this city. 10 = few appropriate and
e8oq0ent remsrss introduced the dis
tingulshea speaker frum 81 Louis.
We are sOrEy ne cannot give Father
.C0fey = Addn s. in full, and Gao only
pablish EXTRACTS frvm it
The speaker Is q man Of splendid
presence End Impressive personality;
and gives al . thorough understand
ing that be Is very much 10 earnest In
shat be sayx He Is a. attractive
speaker, fearless and pointed 10 what
be Eayk He expressed great surprise
that the City Council Of MexicO did
nos give the people o. Mexico .
chance 70 vote % this proposition and
asked several pointed questions.
He wanted TO know whether the
council represented The people Of
Mexico OF the brewers. he also
wanted TO know whether the council
was elected BY the people or whether
the people just tnozght ehey had
elected the council. He took the po-
SltiOn that the brewers and disrillers
dominated the politics Of this coun-
try, and would continued 70 do 50 I'M
Ill they we're put ont Of business BE
requested that some q would give
some reason for the existence Of the
saloon rs In institution- Father O0f-
fey said that be had asked for this
reason before large audiences In Mis-
souri and adjoining states. but had
not found any one who could give ,.
reason for the existence OF this evil.
The speaker ID Opposed to personals
ties and bitterness in the campaign,
bat believes in standing firm for the
right
He commenced BY saying that we
damn the saloon, corrupt politics and
politicians. while We are to blame for
than ourselves, because We permit
them 10 exist
Ii Is not necessary, be said, TO 20 to
St Louis on any other city TO study
corrupt pulItios, We have the curse
right at cur very doors It is Just IS
bad here Is anywheFe.
He spoke OF men who delighted in
styling themselves hard beaded bust
ness men" who made excuses, and
placed the dollar above decent citi-
Eenzhip.
II tack him IS yean. be said, TO.
grow courageous eDcugh 70 bel prohl
bitaonist He feared the name saw
ored Of fanatielsm. He always made
excuses until be s4N that the only
way 20 get rid Of the serpent vas 10.
cgt OF its bead, NOT its tail. and the
sal0on Is the head Of the evil, fed By
the great bre9erIes and di~stlllsfies
He gave his experiences Is ; parish.
priest for q years In ST. Louis. during
which time be studied the sxloon,szH
the ruin it wrought amongst the boys
prostitutes IL made, the murder, the
crime, want 2nd poserty IL caused,
and after the vine room crusade In
St Louis in which be was Joined By
most Of the prominent ministers Of
Of the city the conclusion vas forced
On him that the only remedy for the
evil Of theszIoon vas 10 destroy the
saloon.
As 10 the revenue feature, without
the saloon there VIII be ten times As
much TO make public improvements,
for the schools and other public insta-
tutionG
A nAn Should Be ashamed 10 rant to
barter bis soul O. the souls Of others
In order 70 save q dollar or two in
taxes for himself. Saloons impOyerish
; town In s. Louis the poor houses
hospitals and ssyluns up to recent
years were q dkagrzeS 70 humanity.
The public school buildlnn were the
soFzt Ia TIE cOslntFy. the saloon
sns suprene
The preasnt tsnperxncs ware, the
speaker szSd, 10 not o. the hour or DAY,
it hs movement for good govern
zents It zseans rss0iataon ana throw
Lag q t0s yoke q De akan snd cor
rHpt politics for god government
There wess lzgs co TIE ststute books