Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-12-02
PATTERSON KNOWS NOW.

The National Bulletin. organ of the
liquor trade in this country, disguised
where it delighted TO honor. is very
much out OF patience with Malcolm D.
Patterson, former governor of Tennes-
see and one time advocate Of the liquor
interests, since Mr.. Patterson an
nounced a complete change of opinion
and is speaking against the saloons.
Naturally. But why did Patterson
change opinion and turn TO the right
about on this question?
| Going back to the beginning the
liquor interests found Malcolm D. Pat
terson years ago, a bright politician
with ambition and a silver tongue. His
father was leading democrat of the
state. The young man was born 20
| political opportunity. He was a gen
timely able lawyer and had held the
seat in congress once occupied by his
father. Probably he was as sincere as
most men when he proclaimed him
| self the friend OF the saloon He struck
!
| nent was the old argument that legis-
lation can not make men moral AS
| governor of Tennessee he vetoed the
prohibitory law passed by the legis-
lature. The legislature passed it over
his veto but he had done the best
he could. And his messages and his
| speeches were spread broadcast by the
liquor press and the plate houses that
| serve the saloons and debauch certain
newspapers with free plate"
! Why did Patterson turn fairly about
and condemn where he had praised and
t approved and defended? Patterson
had son. his first born-and that son
became a drunkard. A lost and
! drunken son shocked the mans eyes
him. The theories he had spun be-
came mere cobwebs OF sophistry He
knew. II was a different man who
stood to say to the world:
| favor prohibition in any form that
will either reduce or destroy the liquor
traffic.
I favor 1t person wide, town wide.
state wide, nation vide and world
| vide.
| II my recommendations had been
! followed. the result would have been
that the open saloon would have been
! sanctioned By the law OF Tennessee,
! and my idea was that high license and
| regulation would eliminate the dives
and leave the sale OF liquor to men
| of the better class and under re-
! spectacle conditions.
! This might have been the result, but
the mistake made was in drawing a
distinction favorable to the saloon as
/ against the dive, or 20 make any
| compromise with the evil: for there is
| no such thing as a respectable saloon,
and there never can be.
| AS we'll might one speak % virtu-
Gus prostitute or an honest thief
| The saloon can not produce one
veracious witness in it's favor as it
stands indicted before the bar OF pub
| lie opinion. Its guilt has been shown
i by an overwhelming accumulation OF
direct and circumstantial proof. which
admits of no doubt and by It's own
confession.
| II stands convicted telon. and
must receive the sentence of the law
III must go never to return, and, with
| the going OF the saloon, liquor itself
should go.
! Patterson changed because his son
went down. Isn't that sufficient rea-
! SOM Patierson's son was but one Of a
million. Patterson and his son are
only prominent examples. The pro-
/ cess goes on day after day among the
Pattersons. born TO distinction and op-
portunity and the boy torn in the
howell. the widows son. all the boys
! born OF any and all psrentage and IN
der all conditions. The saloon makes
/ no distinction except between those
! who can and can no, pay. 1t can not
exist and profit except at the cost Of
the Pattersons and the Murphys and
| their sons and daughters. What else
| could Patterson do when he looked
| upon his own son in the gutter? He
/ had seen other mems sons there and
kept his theories but theory fails over
the body OF drunkard son as consola-
ton lacks when it is offered with tha
sound OF clods falling on a coffin.
No, Patterson said nothing new when
he condemned the saloon from the
depths Of his broken heart He said
nothing new when he spoke the SUPER
fetal sophistries OF personal liberty
and the property right OF the saloon.
But Patterson's last words were those
Of knowledge. He knew Death had
the body Of his first born as the first
parents over Abel with new and
absolute knowledge.
What are we going to do in this
state for the Patterson boys and our
own boy?