The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-10-28

A fine meeting was held Thurs
day evening, at Martel, and was pre-
sided over by John Mcl<instry. John
II. Clark addressed the people on
the issues of the present campaign
for local option, presenting in a clear
light the several problems involved.
lie began his address by referring to
an incident of his boyhood wherein
a bow was periodically beaten and
driven from home by drunken faith
er. This circumstance had much to
do in influencing him to oppose the
liquor business.
How It Affects Business.
Three years ago one of the argu-
ments used by the saloonists was that
the dry regime would injure business.
That matter has now been tested and
all kinds of legitimate business is do
ing better than ever before. the big
steam Shovel works officials say their
business was never as satisfactory and
prosperous as 1t has been during the
past three years. one of the largest
dry goods establishments in Marion
lost some wet customers for the stand
they took three years ago but they
have gained more and had last year
the best trade in their history
The boot and shoe merchants re-
port increased trade and profits. one
leading firm has nearly doubled its
business and another has had large
increase. The only falling off re-
ported by these tradesmen is that ~
the missions" Many poor people.
having largely dropped off drink, are
now able to buy their own boots and
shoes
our banks and loan associations
show n gain of more than 100000
of deposits during the past three years
and have had the most prosperous
period of business ever known to
them. This is certain indication
OF the prosperity and Improvement
and happiness of the people.
The pretense of the saloonkeepers
that because the open saloon has been
driven out they are doing more busi-
ness than under the former regime
is too absurd for consideration. If
that be true they would not want to
reopen their saloons and pay the
Aiken tax of $1,000 and the United
states government special tax of $50
but could save that money The as
booze out of their pockets slipping
around in dark alleys or In we'll
guarded Easements and backrooms
where every boozer must come Wei-
okayed is simply unreasonable ana
foolish talk which nobody VIII beileVe
for a minute.
Treating Is the influence which
causes over drinking and a common
cause of drunkenness. rms Amer
lean custom is what plays havoc win
sobriety. But this IS not allowed IN
these bootlegging joints because there
Is too much danger of one being
witness of the selling which Is crim-
inal action. If IL is true that one can
do n bigger business by stealth anu
secretlye work In the dark than work
ing In the broad light Of day then all
the ideas of merchants about adver-
tising are wrong and absurd. our
merchants believe that It pays to
work I'm the light. on the best streets
and locations with fine show-windows
and big advertisements in the news
papers.
One OF the interesting matters Of
this campaign Is the fact that such
men as Carl Burke and the OKeeffes
are hard at work putting up placards
designated
"HOW TO VOTE WET"
and thus assuming TO educate the
people of this county on the problem
Of bringing back the saloons. These
men have been convicted of criminal
actions and are self-confessed law
breakers. They have been found
guilty of breaking the law and have
been constant violators of law in both
the wet and the dry regimes. II
makes no difference what the law is
these men constantly violate it,
The facts were recounted at this
meeting as shown recently at sid
ney where the school girls and boys
have been subpoenaed to the number
Of 100 to testify before the grand