The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-03-09

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[ E|.M||PE:RANCE ]! \ | !.
MOVEMENT | {: J !! /. | NJ
"A Strong Article
From fhe ! / Weston
Independent

Have you looked over d map Of West
Virginia with view to noting the
progress OF the: temperance movement: :
Tire voting Of Eikins dry for another
year calls attention to New Martins.
vile, which recently ( voted dry, and
the immediate declaration OF the coun.
ty court tha. no license will be grant.
! ed 1t any point In Wetzel county. sis.
tersvilIe and ST. Mary's only need to
vote dry at the spring elections to
clean up the Ohio river territory be.
tween Wheeling and Parkersburg, and
to drinking man the northern half
Of the State begins to look like a sa.
ilara desert, with Cases few and far
between.
At Mannington, Fairn,ont and
clarkshurg the temperance people ap-
pear to be nore certain Of a triple vic.
tory than they were at etsher New
MartinsvilIe CIR Eikins. In case OF vic.
tories at these places, which we'll ~.
formed persors declare to be practical.
" sure, this locality wiIlbe freed from
many OF the efforts that are made to
minimize the good results OF local pro-
hibition, for 2 booze-consumer must
then get his beverage from Parkers-
burg to the west, CIR Wheeling TO the
north. or Charleston On the south, or
take his chot-e on the east between
Tucker county or the eastern hanhan.
die. l., s &.
And why should not these sister
cities desire to keep up with Sic pro-
cession7 II the closing of saloons can
do for other localities what 1t has done
for Weston and Its environs, It is
mighty bad morals, bad business ana
bad Judgment generally TO toterate9n
licensed saloon a. day Ion ger Than It
can be closed. you can't find a Yves.
ton man who respects the truth, wi,a>
ever he may have thought about, cut.
ting out the saloons when !: was done.
VINO would not witness to-day 10 the
improved morals ass result. A n few
days ago Police Chief, Harrisep said
to the writer: There's nothing doing
In police court" Another police orr;
Ger said: 'The town is not like the
s1n,e place; you hardly ever see a
drunk man any more" The mayors
docket tells its own story ct dcartn
of .drunks and disorderies. The lock-
up keeper las had to open shooting
gallery two squares away from the cal
fncose, to earn a living. Except for
the drunks and the booze sent up from,
clarkshurs there wouldn't be more
than AN average OF one drunk month.
and perhaps not that.
The writer has taken pains to H..
puire ct number Of business men
how the change has affected business.
He has the first one, to find who has
any complaint to make. More saies,
larger sales, moro men paying their
oills-ttat's the universal story; ana
this despite an unprecedented In
crease in the number OF competing
business concerns. And freights were
never before so heavy. The postal re-
ceints show steady Improvement, and
the banks never had deposits equal In
amount. There are no better ;adices
shan these to the volume OF business
being done. A home building and loan
association furnished equally convine-
ing proof Of hettered conditions during,
a. brief dry period two years ago, and,
though We have heen unable to get any
figures recently, we understand from,
the directors that local prohibition II
helping many persons to buy and builn
tc.nes. q y
The vacant room scare was ground.
less. There: isn't vacant room in
Weston, and rents have not decreased.
The threat that "prohiniticn don't pre-
hlLit" mas not been carried out to any
great extent, and the county Jail is al,
r1ost empty, save for an occasional
Weapon-toter. And what an argument
that is, anyhow! The idea that vot.
ers are asked to extend special priv
iIeges to the tools OF the brewers be.
carse the brewers make threats to- de.
hauch and bestIalize the community
with bcot.leggers and hlind!tlgers II
those privileges are not extendedl
They want to be bribed into being law.
fully ruinutis instead Of lavuIessIv rIe
structive.s They would procure the.
privilege Of pollution by purchase!
3s; Who Is willing to barter away the
virtue OF the community for, a price -
Weston independent. ;3 X a N ID
lrS
sg The Cheap asst pl ace IA to bliy Rugs;