The Cairo bulletin., 1909-03-28
Chairman H. R. Aisthorpe Says
Too Much "Side-S Stepping"
BY City Authorities.
Offers 10 be Goat if One is Needed-.-W. B
Huette For High License Against Sunday
Closing. Mayor Speaks Of Cleaner
Cairo and Revenue Ordinance.

- I'M. i. / bs

ance at the Merchants Luncheon yes
terday, at Alexander club grill room,
with Hal r. Aisthorpe presiding at
the board. Mr.. Aisthorpe launched
boldly into a subject which has been
talked about considerably in public
places for some time past-Saloon
Regulation in Cairo. He presented
the matter in the following address:
Gentlemen: | am one of the
young men of Cairo. | will tell you
in the start | am not much of puo.
lie speaker, because you will find it
out anyway, Last Saturday some one
asked me if | could talk on any
thing other than the telephone bust
ness. | stated that | was not sure
that could, but believed | could
talk on the telephone business be-
cause my heart was in it.
81 can talk on one or two other sub
jects, because my heart Is in those
subjects. Cairo is one of them; /
was born in Cairo; | was raised in
Cairo; | am and | can talk for Cairo
first, last and all the time. / believe
that Cairo and her business interests
if properly managed, have the best
prospects of any anywhere, and | talk
that
There is cne other subject that
am deeply interested in and | think
a great many Of our citizens feel the
same way. In my opinion there has
been too much side stepping when
this subject is brought up. A week or
so ago, | attended a meeting of the
city council, at which some of the
bankers and other citizens were pres
ent. To me, that meeting was some
what like a farce, 1t is possible,
am young, and like small child,
have to get my fingers burned before
appreciate that some things are hot,
81 believe in this city there is room
for all of us. We are In on the ground
floor of a good thing and we should
forget our petty jealousies and work
for Cairo and when it is time to cor
slider a matter that is vital to Cairo's
welfare, that we should meet ii
squarely, talk about it, and talk hon
estly not side step. The meeting at
the city council chamber which
spoke of moment ago reminds me-
of story | once heard about ne
gro preacher In his sermon he
wanted to know of his congregation
how many of them were sheep and
were going to Heaven, and how many
of them were not sheep. AS is CON-
mon with great many negro preach
ers, he worked his congregation up to
this point several times, but seemed
unable to get any farther. Finally one
of the brothers away back in a rear
pew called out, "Parson, I'm willing
to be the goat, tell us what's the
joke.
1t seemed to me at that meeting
the other night someone was looking
for a goat, but no one seemed willing
to act the part. If this was the joke
and it is for the best welfare of the
citizens of Cairo, have no objection
to being the goat.
Gentlemen, | am in favor of a
much higher saloon license in this
city, also for limiting the number of
saloons, say to about fifty for the
present population, and as the city
grows to increase the number, say on
a basis of about one to every four
hundred inhabitants. | do not advi'
cate forcing any of the present sa-
looms that are properly conducted, out
of business, and | believe the proper
way to handle this would be to grant
no new licenses and transfer none
andin this way some of them will 20
out of business, others will leave,
and The number gradually decrease,
and if so done those that we would
have left could be made to pay their
expenses, which | understand some
of them are not doing at the present
| time | am for regulation of saloons
and closing them on Sundays. | sin
cerely believe that | am friend of
1
| talk this. | believe the better class
of liquor men want this as do a large
number of our citizens, and | feel
that unless we have regulation and
our saloons are conducted in a much
more respectable manner, that We
will soon have none at all. OF course
change In licenses could not be eff
lfective until next year but reguia-
tions can be enforced at any time 1t
lis demanded.
Il regard there is necessity for
well conducted saloons in this city
and know that the city needs the
licenses as a revenue. There is loi
of talk that there is no necessity for
taking up the matter of revenue, bur
lit is admitted that the city is finan-
cially going behind, claiming how
ever that il does not owe what 1t did
several years ago. | believe a city
should be conducted just like any