La Junta tribune., 1913-12-13
WI, MEXICO wnNr "nm,.'
Little Missouri C,t, Noi"d against
saloons because II Was Hest
Tor the Town"

| ~ 'H''N' - Nff''hNf
Under ordinary circumstances se
should not regard this as an event
worthy of extraordinary notice OF
comment. \ larg" number of iitu.
cities In this land have. within the
last few years. taken similar action,
To be exact. Mexico is the 5lsth.
place of fewer than seven thousand
\ inhabitants In this country which
has banished saloons within the last
| five years.
The circumstances Ia it's case were
not ordinary. however.
II Is an old county seat town. set
In the midst OF rich agricultural
section. which raises. IN addition to
corn and wheat. some OF the finest
saddle horses on earth. Therefore.
II seems fitting that its most notable
citizen for many years should have
been Jim Robinson. long the
worlds champion bareback rider. To
have seen his diamond studded belt
was TO hay. looked upon the chief
| treasure OF the town.
| Like all other communities in the
| north central part OF Missouri. MeSi-
co was settled largely by folk from
Kentucky Nearly every family In
the place traces back to the Blue
Grass. And to this day any man
who there rises to the least local EN-
inencs automatically becomes col
onel.
The pioneers who came from the
south brought with them their hal
lowed traditions Among these was
the acceptance OF bourbon whiskey
as a necessity So there was time
when saloons were more or less a su-
periluity In Mexico. Still. there
were saloons
They served as oases between tn.
well stocked sideboard In the home
and the priyat. bottle in the office
Also they supplied the large negro
population with a convenient means
OF losing control OF the mind and the
passions.
They sponsored robberies by night
and street shootings by day. They
kept poverty alive IN a section which
Nature undoubtedly had Intended as
burying place for the gauut stalk
er. They fostered poker and pool
games and without discrimination
for blood or brain they lured youths
OF proud lineage to degradation and
disgrace.
Once In while some woman-a
wife or mother-would act In tn.
high spirit of III. true Southerner
and personally serve ON the saloon
keepers AN order TO sell no more H.
pnor to her men folk. Once In a
while a clergyman newly com. to
town would loose a blast against III.
evil; but for many years that ~as
I'll. sum total OF temperance effort
Then. when the town began to lag
u bit; when a sort Of miasma seemed
4 to have got IN its blood. some OF its
clearer headed and longer visioned
citizens began to see where the germ
OF disaster Was bred But even with
the support OF public opinion
changing with the times the saloons
could not be- touched. They wen.
defended by abl. men. eminent IN
the community; and with these men
stood all OF the lower element. black
and white.
II WAS a situation In every way
similar To that which has existed In
numerous to~ns-similar Ia that
which still exists throughout III.
length and breadth OF the land.
For nearly forty years tn. saloons
kept going. upsettinx the economic
balance OF the community by taking
money for something that IL less
than nothing.
oniy once during that period did
the traffic cease. Then. a. tn. re-
suit Of an ominous uprising. the ~.
ioonk-epers got together and yolun-
t-~r~d To close their places This
promts~ paeifi.d matters. but within
few months they we're running tn.
same ss usual
Temperance lecturers talked them.
s"lv-. hoars. TO audiences OF faith
fui women. and handful of NAL. .s-
I sorts. To whom tn. s. CARA OF senti.
m-nt and th. i.ar-coni. >, llinK sweep
OF .ioau.no- did no, apr a. Th-..
escorts. for the most part. Werc
thinking about profits and payment.
rents and r.mi,tsnc... bills overdue
and ..ffl.u.nts o~ua.px ,...,,.