The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-04-14
REV.. E. M'kIBBIN
COMES BACK
HIS CORRESPONDENT, "A TAX
PAYER" FLAYED TO A
FINISH.
ANONYMOUS LETTERS COWARDlY
PATHETIC PICTURE OF THE
EVILS OF THE SALOON
UPON THE HOME.

My Dear Mr.. Taxpayer: AS you
did not send me your address when
you wrote to me | am obliged to an
swer you through the medium of the
press. | suspect, however, that your
address is West Fourth street. Now,
Mr.. Taxpayer, why did you get angry,
if you ARE not a saloon advocate
because / published the saloon rec
ord. The number of men employed
by the saloons was told me by the
city commissioners last Tuesday, and
| am sure they did not consider that
they were giving away any secrets
when they told me, and the number
of arrests for drunkenness is from
the police court records, and these
are not secret, either, so l am not so
badly posted as you supposed.
You say you do not want to see the
drug stores scoop up so much money
right under your eyes. Now, Mr..
Taxpayer, if what you say Is true, you
can make more money in shorter time
than they, for, as you know, there is
500 for each conviction. Why
don't you lift a few of these hun
dreds if you have such a stand in?
Don't you think, Mr.. Taxpayer, that
it is a cowardly thing to charge
these men with crime, without Civ
ing your name and coming forward
to prove your charge. | hold no brief
for the drug stores, they are able to
plead their own cause 1t is a point
of law, however, that a man must be
held as innocent until proven guilty.
OF course, you know that you were
not adhering to the truth when you
said that the drug store force had
been doubled since the city went
dry" Did you suppose that in the
nearly four years | have lived in
Madison | did not know every single
proprietor and clerk in all the drug
stores, or in all the stores, for that
matter?
In your suggestion that | mind my
own business, | wonder If you really
know what the business of a minister
is. The saloons have made for me in
the past some very unpleasant bust
ness. 1t is my business to perform
the marriage ceremony, and | have
seen homes that were begun in hap
piness and that | have invoked the
blessing of heaven upon, wrecked and
ruined by the saloon. 1t is my bust
ness TO baptize the children of believ-
ers, but have seen those same chill
dren bereft of parental care and pro
lection and support because the sa-
loon got the father. | have had chill
dren come to me and ask me to go
home with them and protect them
against a drunken father. | have
taken drunken men home many times
and put them under proper care. |
have done that right here in Madison.
| have been called upon to perform
the last sad rites over men who have
died through drink. Men who would
have been good and honorable citi-
zens but for the saloon. | have
heard the pleading and have seen the
tears of the fallen as they have en-
treated for help to save them from
this curse. If there was a spark of
mercy in a saloon mans heart he
would from sheer pity, set his face
against the business.
| have during the twenty-five years
of my ministry received many anon
ymous letters on different subjects.
This is the only subject, however,
that is always accompanied, rs yours
was, Mr.. Taxpayer, with the threat OF
personal violence. So when re-
ceived your letter it was like the
voice of an old friend.
Now, my friend. just keep smiling
and don't get irritated and we shall
do our best next Tuesday to record
the vote hat will keep Madison dry.
Very truly yours,
&C. McKibbin.