St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1912-09-13
Subscription price s,.oo per year.


church Sunday evening gave as his
opinion why merchants go bust
ed in St. Johns" that the saloons
are mainly responsible. 1t may be
true enough that the saloons con
tribute their full share toward the
downfall of merchants that have
gone to the wall in St. Johns, but
as to being the prime reason is open
to discussion. Were it not that
merchants go busted" in prohibi.
ton cities as we'll as in wet ones,
there would be small grounds &c
disagree with Rev. Patton in his
contention, but prohibition does
not eliminate failures, even if II
has a tendency in that direction
As matter of fact any fair mind
ed man will agree that today the
city of St. Johns is cleaner moral.
" with less drunkenness in evi.
dence than has ever been the case,
not excepting the period when st.
Johns was legally a dry city. This
has been wrought about by an eff
cient police force and stringest reg
ulations prescribed by the city
council. II is not Our purpose OF
intention to shield or uphold the
saloon business In fact we have
not the slightest use for liquor in
any manner or form. Yet we de-
sire to be fair. Many ministers OF
the country seem to delight in tell
ing how saloon men invite and CO.
cree the boy into the saloon. In all
our experience we have not known
of single instance where saloon
keeper invited a boy into saloon,
but we have known cases where
youths have been ordered out be
cause they did not appear OF proper
age. II is true that IN places boys
under age can and do secure liquor
but not upon invitation of the sa-
loon keeper. We have known OF
churches, however, 10 advertise in
large ilaring letters right on the
sacred edilices the allegation: The
saloons want your boy--have you
one TO spare" Possibly poor
homeless, friendless boys have at
times been thus directed to where
they are assured of welcome by
reading these advertisements.
Who can tell Is the saloon keeper
any more responsible for the boys
first taste OF liquor than is the to.
for his first chaw of To.
baccol II is true that ii liquor was
not sold boys would not become
drunkards. But prohibition is not
the cure. Absolute stoppage of
its manufacture is the only real
and ellicacious one. When the
temperance elementbcgin to realize
that IL is better 10 eat NJ tho root
of the tree than snip among is
branches, branches that too often
grow out again after pruning. and
yet the tree maintaining It's full
strength and vigor, from that time
will date the downfall of liquor
prohibition in places
does not materially or proportion.
ltely reduce the total consumption
Of liquor, and therefore fails OF its
purpose. Liquor is something of
which there is absolutely mo- need
II has been clearly demonstrated
that II is not a necessity in the
world, nor is il a necessity
Ior so-called sacramental purposes.
Like tobacco, the world would be
mmeasurably better OFF without il
Yet So long as il is manufactured
md may DC procured il assurcdly
Hill be drank. Why not fight IL
iuor instead OF the saloonsp
There are other pertinent reasons
however, why merchants go broke |
n St. Johns. II is true that lucre |
S spent in the saloons that should |
le applied ON grocery bills, yet il
5 n fact that the saloon men of 81.
.olsls are not growing wealthy.
)n the contrary some OF them can
With difficulty pay their just debts.
)ne reason, and a potent one, why |
.ome business men so busted IN
81. Johns is because they DO not OF
10 not know how 10 advertise in q
udicious aud successful manner
They fail TO tell the public what
hey have TO sell and the price at
which il may he secured, The
uccessful stores in Portland make
10 such mistake. After all is said,
However, credit business is the
Quickest route to oblivion. II is
aid that the combined credits OF
wo stores that failed in St Johns
otaled more than $4,000. That
eing the case, how could they
ucceed} Why do not people pay
p better2 And a strange fact is
hat among these unpaid book &C
cunts can be found the names of
ome steady church attendants. A
eavy drinker can secure but little
redit. Again, more trade goes to
'ortland than many imagine, and
here has been more competition
long certain lines of business than
allied for by the traffic. When
Il is summed up, instead of there
eing one chief reason for failure,
lere are many, all contributing
iare 10 the undoing. II is the
lme the world over, and not con.
ned to St. Johns, Some will sue
II IL. E..I