The Cordova daily times., 1915-01-19
WHEAT FROM THE
 CHAFF
Editor Cordova Daily Tlmes:-

Editor Cordova Daily Tlmes:-
 The no-license movement in Nc. Carthy, headed by two well-meaning but misguided youths who have not been very long in the country, has been the cause of much discussion here, and 1t is not unlikely that there will be similar movement here.
 To me the no-license movement seems cowardly. It seems as If the people despaired of regulating the worst saloons, and so would close the well conducted places with the bad. I hold no brief for the saloon keeper, but do not think the man who con ducts his business honestly should be punished for the sins of the man who does not.
 A saloon can be regulated easier than a Sunday school class, if the off, ficers and public will only do their plain duty.
 We hear of men being robbed in Mccarthy; we hear of men being robbed in Cordova; we see men robbed here, because when a saloonkeeper all lows a man to spend his money after he has arrived at condition where he does not know what he is doing, he is certainly robbing him, and would do him less harm if he took his money from him. Why do these things hap pen? The condition of the saloon keepers license is that he shall not sell liquor to an intoxicated individ. ual, and Is it probable or possible that men would be cleaned" if the officers were vigilant- Does the court use enough care in granting li- censes? Speaking for this division say emphatically that he does not The men with bad regulations in the saloon business have had them for years, but continue to get license Do the people use any care or dlscre- tion in signing petitions for licenses? They do not. They talk about the horrible things that certain men do, but when these men present their pe- titions for their signatures they all sign them because they do not want to make any enemies" Why I saw man some years ago protesting a H. cense in open court, and the judge turned the license over and asked the man was that his signature, and he said that he did not remember signing it. but there was no doubt it was his signature.
 l suppose the judge would say that l, private citizen, should gather up the evidence of wrong doing and at my own expense take the witnesses to Valdez and show him why he should not grant a license. If this is the proper procedure, what are we pay ing all the officers for?
 l If you close all the saloons what are you going to replace them with Where one man spends or is robbed of all of his money ten men get ra tional. comfortable enjoyment, and the benefit of light and heat, which are both of some importance in this country. The saloon Is the pooi lman's club, and If because few mer are weak. and few men are vicious you are going to take that club away you must provide something else The saloon regulations are made tC protect the weak against the vicious Why are they not enforced
 Knowing whereof speak, say that If the regulation or law q believe | Is a law that liquor shall not b, sold between midnight and 6 a. m were enforced, the prolonged debauci would be thing of the past, and i the courts would refuse licenses tC men who did not live up to the con ditions, and the public would not sigr petitions for men whom they know should not have licenses, the agita tions for no saloons would soon die We have all "hol!ered" pretty lout about Colonel Roosevelts suspendins the honest coal locator's rights, as we'll as the dishonest. Do not lei us do the same injustice to men who are running what is to them as le gitimate and honest a business as