The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-03
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Winchester, Indiana, Feb. /, 1909.
To the Editor of the Richmond Pallad
ium, Richmond. Ind.
A prominent citizen of your city has
asked me concerning the effect of the
abolition of the saloon upon the bust
ness in our city and l very gladly an
swer the question in the light of per-
sonal observation and of such informa-
ton as l have picked up by investiga-
ton into the matter, and let me an
swer first, generally, that is in some
instances | have found that the saloon
was not factor at all, the business,
SO far as the parties interrogated were
concerned, having been equally pros
porous both before and after the abO-
lition of the saloon, but in every such
case where a difference was admitted
it was in favor of the abolition of the
saloon. Almost every grocery man
interviewed without exception, said
that his business had been better in
every way since the abolition of the
saloon. A number of them stated that
, their collections never had been so sat
isfactory and that customers in partic-
| ular, with whom they had had trouble
in making collections because they
had spent their earning with the sal
Don. had, since the saloon had been
| abolished, been very prompt and were
among their best patrons. They fur
| Their state that a visit to the homes Of
these people will reveal evidences of
comfort which were not found therein
while they were the patrons of the
| saloon.
| The business of our dry goods, cloth
| ing and boot and shoe merchants has
not only not been injured by the WHIP
ing out of the saloon, but has, on the
contrary, gradually increased until to-
day there is not a single one of these
men who would be Willing to go back
to the old order of things. Further
more, there is not one Of them but will
tell you that their collections never
were so satisfactory. 1t is true that
some money left the city Immediately
following the abolition Of the saloon
and that some parties who could not
and can not get liquor here went else
where for it. 1t is also true that the
wiping out Of the saloon left a few
empty business rooms for time but
as business readjusted itself to the
new and better order of things these
matters righted themselves.
| When the saloons were first wiped
out many men were very bitter and We
hemently asserted that everything was
going to the dogs; that in less than
two years men would be glad to take
| one half what they could then get for
their property. but as they have stood
by and seen their property actually ad-
vance in value and its rental value in
crease by from one-third to one-half
in many instances, their prejudices
have given way to the onward march
| of better things until today actually
some of the most vehement of these
men at that time are now the staunch-
est supporters of this era of a right
eous prosperity, and the old adage
that it pays to do right though the
heavens fall, is being more and more
verified.
On last Friday men who two years
ago were loud in their condemnation
Of the course which they asserted
would ruin our fair little city, were
the earnest supporters of the move
ment to put this county in the ranks O.
those in favor of local option.
Old Wayne county from whose Dor
ders have come many of our staunch
est citizens, from whom we have learn
ed much that was pure and good ant
, patriotic, can not afford to take back
ward step when she is given an Op
, portunity to put herself on record II
the matter of temperance and we be
lieve she will not.
W. o. SMITH,
t Pros. Atty Randolph CO