Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-22
cause they are best fitted to the task.
If we crave the masculine we have It
in the boy scout opportunity.
THREE SMALL INSTANCES.


The saloonists and the breweries
backed by the distillers and other in
terests and certain avocations Of
which the less said the cleaner are
busy in various places seeking voters
who are willing to sign a contract Of
partial partnership. That is precisely
what it is, a contract of partnership in
! which the promoters get all the divi-
dends and the people pay all the ex-
penses.
These expenses are high. Here is
one Of them: Call him Billy, that is
near enough. He works for 50 a week
doing the scavenger work for a trades
man. On Saturday night for many
years Billy has never had a dollar
coming. Beginning Monday Billy be-
gins to draw all he is able to get. 1t
all goes for booze. The bar gets it all.
When the saloons We're closed for a
few days Billy had most of his wages
coming the first week of the closing.
He bought a case of beer and didn't go
| thirsty but he had something like IS
coming Saturday night. They were
closed only for a few days but during
the ten days or so Billy was a ,Satur-
day night capitalist. After they OPEN
ed again under the beneficent smile
of the law Billy began on Monday to
panhandle the till and he hasn't had
a cent coming of Saturday nights
since.
Perhaps Bily's morals were not
much improved by the closing; then
again perhaps they were. Somehow
or other decency prefers to drink it's
beer in its own apartments or at some
club away from the riot, obscenity and
profanity Of the ealoon. Anyway Billy
had SIS of Saturday nights instead of
nothing but a thirst. That's something.
In Billy's case it was so So per cent
Of Billy's income. He had that much
to spend for clothes or groceries or
theaters or as he pleased. The closing
didn't keep Billy from being a
drinker: but it made a decenter
drunkard out Of him. That's some
thing.
In a town no matter where but
mighty close to Marshalltown if any
one should inquire a man started out
to circulate a saloon petition. He was
getting pay for it. Incidentally and to
he baf TO mo Of a
stance his wife had been working hard
and the main support Of the family. He
came home full of the spirit of per-
sonal liberty and booze and beat his
wife. She left him and attempted to
bring suit for divorce. She was de-
layed in her purpose probably because
her attorney is a saloon attorney and
the petitioners whom he represents
were not pleased with the prospect of
publicity which the divorce court
would give their petition circulator. In
the meantime the husband shocked and
sobered by the proceedings came con-
tritely asking reconciliation. He found
it when he forebore drink and made
oath that he would remove his name
from the petition.
Is he a better man? Well he means
to be. He is sober and hopes
to stay so. He means to work
for his family. He is certainly de-
center citizen. He isn't coming home
drunk. His wife is living with him.
He is working. What did the saloon
do for him? Would he be better off
with it or without it. Wasn't it
mighty expensive luxury to him, to his
wife and the children?
In the town under consideration the
other day a man was out canvassing.
He came to a howell near the railroad
tracks. In it were a woman and two
or three children. They were cold and
hungry. The husband, a notorious
drunkard and saloon parasite was
away drunk. In the bare rooms were
three or four chairs and a table There
were neither carpets nor rugs. 1t was
no more home than the street. In
another house a girl lay sick in the
front room. This house was comfort
able and clean. She spoke in a low
ladylike voice explaining the where
abouts of the owner. AS she lay there
white and weak there was gentleness
and sweetness in her face This girl
of 20 is the daughter Of the drunkard
referred to. She has run the gamut of
degradation. The causes of her illness
are not to be written or explained
here.
''The neighbors were up in arms"
over her presence in this mans
home, who had taken her in
and was paying the doctor. Six
years ago she was little girl just
biushing into womanhood in that
druunkard's home. Suppose it had
been your 14-year- old girl in home
like that? She wasn't bad girl She
isn't today a bad woman but in the six
years that have intervened she has
learned and suffered everything of
shame and indecency the underworld
has to teach. She simply never
had q chance. The saloon profit