Mexico weekly ledger., 1913-12-18

VA enplre; which brought togsthef
IN London recently a gathering q
sssfine.sshea scientists and physician,
Who. after considering the subject
from every viewpoint declared AGO
hoI Is NOT even a necessary medicine
and that lie use IA any Other way
e a crime against the body as
well as an eoo=o=se hunder.
Opposed to those who were work
ing for rcadjussEnent in that Ms
souri, town-which we have ssseceed
for consideration simply because II
happens TO present conditions gp'-
cal TO those existing In many other
placs-were many eminenty re
spectacle citizen and ell citizens who
were not respectable
The n~o-saaoon forces were thorough
liz organized. AZ sun-up on election
aAy they were about their business
OF rousirg apathetic supporters; ana
they kept at the work unui
! e~e-y name on their lists had an
swered at the polls. Despite the fact
an unreasonable blizzard RACED
all day, a total Of nearly 1900 votes
} was cast out of a population OF 5000
; And when the ballots were counted
II was found the drys had won.
The same spirit which was be
hind the blooms Of the eighties =
the spirit OF loyalty to "our town
which has had more TO do with The
building up Of the west than any
thing else-had been put behinC
/, this cause in Mexico, just as has
been the case in scores Of communal
!, ties beyond the Mississippi.
!, It was to make "our town" the bes
possible town that these folk voted a
.they did.
!, AS we have noted, this is the 51stt
town under 1000 inhabitants 70 ban
ish saloons within five years.
Most OF these towns are locates
in the western part Of the country
the very part which used to be Sc
tIeeted for the staging OF every cheal
novel OF play in which interest cen
tered around a barroom.
But the west wideawake always haI
been first to e in the saloon no
merely an nmy Of personal welfare
but a greater enemy of business pros
. ress and civic advancement.
The west is Kidding itself Of thi
hampering and deadly parasite. Keer
= er-eyed than the more conservative
= and selfsatisfied parts OF the coun
itry, 1t is wagiug a war Of extermins
ton against these obstacles while
stand in the way OF filter men an
more serviceable institutions.
Out there the snti-saloon attltud
Is not based on sentiment or poe
~. To those vigorous, forward Amer
~icans Il is an economic propositio
from start TO finish. Just as they
would not permit a pesthouse to B
built in the center OF a town becaus
Il would endanger the labor and live
of citizens and keep trade ava
so are they refusing space 20 s.
looms.
Their attitude In this regard is r.
Elected IN every line Of work. onl
last week, at the national council I
the Congregational Church In Kanea
, City, the Rev. d. F. Fox. an emineni
member Of that body, said in III
course of an address:
: II was talking the other day to Ban
johnson. president of the America
Baseball League, and he told me ths
no contracts for next year, in eithe
the American or the National Leagu
would be signed with players who d
not agree in them not to use intox
eating liquor in the course OF the Sc
SON.
Ban Johnson's declaration ca
be accepted as evidence Of a newl
awakened understanding of a moral j
sue. as 1t represents nothing NOR
or loss than an enlightened economl
, view OF a business proposition.
The saloon is nonefficient. Therefor
, it is unecouomic. Aud that is tn
strongest reason for a widespread b
lief in its ultimate elimination. =
Philadelphia North American.