The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-10-30
49, cir1Ea ANp pRY.

Charleston Is making tremendous
strides toward becoming great city.
Her own citizens will admit the fact
n YOU pin them right down to It,
Tne truth sometimes leaks out even
Ri the columns of the papers pub
lfshedsin the capital OF the State;
and strange to relate, 1t actually ap-
pears that the refusal OF the city
council to license some forty or
fifty saloons, with gamblng-hell a
nexessattached. has not resulted N
spraggtng the wheels 0 Charleston,s
progress, says the MorgantoWn Post
Chronicle.
WHY on earth, pray, should it make
Charleston a less desirable place to
live In and do business in to have
those fifty places for promotion oil
vice and crime shut down for a year
by order OF the municipal admins
tnationf Let the authorities see 10
Il that the law Is enforced, that the
speakleasies are put out OF business
as rapidly as they appear, and Charles
ton VIII And the results In every way
satisfactory. 1t will not be possible
to- stop the drinking OF liquor on tle
part 6fsthose citizens WAC care to
take me trouble to get II, but tho
worst effects of the saloon will be
etIninated from the social environ
meht OF Charleston's citizens, AID a
distinct gain in social and
%eficiency will be the outcome.
This Is not a mere theory. 1t hat
been tried In Morgantcwn, and The
same story ome from hustling
cfties an over the country. The
LARGEST noeHcense city in the world l.
Worcester, Mass. 1t has held that
nonorable position now for more than
\ year, and here Is what that year haF
brought forth, according to recently
published ~offctai statistics:
Asdecfease of more than oneShalf
ia arrests for drunkenness.
Noticeable diminution OF arrests Tor
assault and battery, larceny, neglect
and non-support, disturbing the peace
Half ID many alcoholic patients
treated from the city hospital i,
Deaths from alcoholism decreased
fromatnirty to six land two of those
came Immediately after n~o-license
went into effect]
Decrease OF II per cent. In the gen.
eral death rate OF the city.
The cfty's manufacturers almost =
INIT In asserting that no-license has
meant better workmanship and fewer
workers discharged.
TIE ctty's gfoceFs declare that In
spite OF the BUSINESS depression, their
bills are paid more promptly than be
fore.
Fewer inmates in the jail than for
twenty previous years.
Is It any wonder that Worcester
went dry again at the last election
after trying the experiment for a
year? And let Charleston donDters
remember that worcester is the sec
aEI1.AL. q, b:,a Gkafa an nnDn1atfOn. q
great Industrial center, with more
.p4oDle than wheeling, P~arkersburg
and Charleston put together.
AshtabrIa Is a lively Ohio town on
Lake Erie, and like Charleston its Iles-
tiny Is to become a great city. The
census of 1900 gives It twelve thou
sand inhabitants, and the census OF
next year will probably make it near
tewfty thousand than fifteen thou
sand. Asntabula has tried the no IL
cense plan for a year, and this is the
way the Independent, a local paper
speaks of the result:
Crime he's been reduced more than
halt there is not an inmate in the
county infirIrlry. and only two per
soffs were In I'LL September 1st against
% iaTt year and SO the year before.
The ,saying in jail fees in a single
year has been $3,526.0S. Right on its
merits to-day Ashtabula Is just as
GOOD town for her inches al there is
0nathe map. It only lakes ner q few
days toEralse $500 for NordGca's con-
cert $4,000 for new Y. NJ. Q. A
building, and nearly 100000 for a
shfpbHffdtng plant. II there is anota'
a. CITY OF her size that can do as well
in % short time let its voice be
heard Ashtabuta against the world,