The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1915-01-08
LETTER FROM LAWYER
R. S. MATTHEWS
SETS OUT CONDITIONS AS HE
SEES THEM AT MACON, UNDER
LOCAL OPTION.
Macon, Mo-, Jan. 4, 1915,
Chairman of the Local Option Commit
tee, Pennington, Mo.


tee, Pennington, Mo.
Dear Sir:
Mr.. Franklin, an attorney in Macon
received a notice this morning of
newspaper article sent by Mr.. Pipkin
of your city, and as | am taking an
active part, as an attorney defending
the Local Option case and as | am
former mayor of Macon | write you
stating that it is one of the most
beautifully glaring signs, painted that
ever saw, to give false impression
of the real facts.
The fact and truth about the whole
matter is that Macon is more prosper
Gus now, than it has been in ten years
past, as will be shown by the clearing
house receipts. Men who would form
erly come in and buy 10c worth offlour,
10c worth Of coffee and Zoe worth of
sugar at weeks end, now buy them
by the dollars worth.
At the beginning of my administra-
ton as Mayor, under the liquor rule,
as can be shown by the records, Macon
was in debt over $20,000.00 of float
ing debt, and about $40,000.00 of
bonded debt. To-day she has no float
ing debt under the dry regime, and
her bonded debt is less than $30,000.00.
AS l say it, Macon is materially
benefited by her progress in the Dry
Column, and there is very few towns
in Missouri of her size that owe as
little as she does, when you consider
that she owns her own sewer, own
electric light plant and her own water
works, and has many miles of paved
streets, and municipal improvements.
When l went in as Mayor, she could
not buy dollars worth of stuff with
out it was sent with bill of Lading
attached, C. o. D. To-day her credit
is good and never questioned.
We riaEveano empty buildings IN
Macon, except those vacated by the
saloons and with the exception Of those
that were in poor district of town.
They are being repidly filled and the
merchants who are dry will tell you
that their business has increased be-
yond proportions. Relative to the
litigation in court, | am one of the
lawyers in the matter, defending this
case. The vets have made three at
tempts to get into court under the
management of Judge Hess, an attor-
ney, and have so far failed to even al
| lege allegations that will stick, and
while there are some good people mis-
informed, misguided and who are
laboring, as | believe under perverted
ideas, the majority of the best people
in Macon are absolutely supporting the
ry party, and if vote was taken now,
believe instead of thirty majority,
the majority would be over two
hundred drys.
AS | have heard many of the vets
state that if they had it to do over
again, noting the advantageous re-
suits derived on the account of the
sober town, that they would vote dry.
You can look down the streets in
Macon to-day and you will never see
drunk man. Our criminal court
records show an income from pros
ecutions on the account of drunkenness
before the town went dry, Of from one
hundred to two hundred dollars per
month. To-day we do not know what
it is to have a souse in the police court.
Instead CT the express receipts being
increased by reason of the town going
dry, they have been decreased
/ have an authoritative statement
from the Express Companies that
there is not as much liquor shipped in
to Macon new since Macon went dry,
as there was shipped out while Macon
was wet.
I do not care to contradict Judge
Hess in his statement of the City's
affairs, but the court records Of Macon
will demonstrate the fact that Judge
Hess principal practice is with the
drinking class, and he is regarded as
one cf the best Brewery attorneys in
the city; although he has been very
unsuccessful in the present litigation,
Mrs. Matthews and myself will be
very glad to come to Pennington and
deliver an address, at any time during
your campaign. if you care to have us
Mr.. Jones will probably remember
Mrs. Matthews as she was active III
. THE Macon campaign.
: was not so active at that time my
self, as / was otherwise engaged, but
have been orc Of the principal stays