The Mankato free press., 1916-04-14

NCoi sc vi. dlluCI, plcoluCII VI lIS
Hubbard Milling company, read a
paper on "a Better Mankato Morally
before the Social Science club, at it's
meeting in the library of DIR. J W.
Andrews last evening. His paper is
as follows:
"a better Mankato morally is some
thing very much to be desired by every
right-minded person, but how to bring
about better conditions is the problem. In
order to properly understand the sub
ject we should know conditions as they
are in our city. The wording of my
topic implies that conditions may be bet
tered, and no doubt we will all agree
that conditions in Mankato are any
worse or any better to any marked de-
gree than obtain in most cities of like
size. The problem of immortality and vice
are present in every city but the meth
DDS of combating evils vary in different
cities and communities.
/ believe conditions in Mankato are
better now than they have been in the
past, but we still have problems to face
and we should be especially interested in
working them out so that our city will
be better in every way. clean city
morally is wanted by most people and
such a reputation would be decided
asset to this city with it's large attend
ance of students from the outside and
it would attract many people who would
like to settle in such place. l shall en-
deavor to point out some things which
tend to make our city less desirable from
a moral standpoint, and then so far a!
am able. to suggest ways in which i'm
provementS can be made.
Wherever there are licensed saloons
one of the first questions is, how are
they conducted and what are their eff.
fects upon the city from a moral, finan
ciaf and economic standpoint as it is
generally recognized that much evi
grows out of the liquor business. OF
late the papers have had a great dea
to say about the experiences of many
cities which have lately gone dry anC
invariably the report is a great dimnu
tiOn in arrests for drunkenness, and
marked decrease of crime with better
business conditions and larger saving!
deposits. While l believe the saloons O
Mankato are generally obeying the law
there is no question in my mind but tha
our city would be better off in every way
| if saloons were done away with entirely
The strongest temperance lesson l have
even seen in print was in a recent is
sue of Minneapolis paper recting thu
downfall of sixteen year old girl ant
| the confession of a seventeen year ole
| boy held for murder, and in each cas-,
liquor was given as the principal caus'
| of ruin and it was obtained in saloons
| and roadhouses. A petition gotten up b.
| convicts and ex-convicts in New YOrl
recently in favor of prohibition said th
| reason for nearly all crimes could b.
traced directly or indirectly to the u.s.
well as anyone the results of drinking
| and their petition is significant.
| Prohibition of Liquor.
recent issue of The Bellman con
Kansas" and it would seem if the fact
are as stated. (and 1 think no one VIII
knows the editor Mr.. Edgar will be in
clined to doubt their accuracy that
o,,Iy IL
uor is tolerated in any community.
quote one sentence from the article i
| The Bellman. with such an object les
son before one, the conviction become
realize what can be accomplished sim
ply by prohibiting liquor, there will
an immediate end to the traffic through
out the United States" That man
girls are ruined while under the inf1u
ence of liquor cannot be doubted, an
that men use liquor to nerve themselve
up to the commission of crime is we
known. The seventeen year old boy men
toned, said the murder would never hav
been committed except for liquor, an
Cole Younger, who died a few days ag
said Cashier Haywood would not hav
been killed at Mortified had it not bee
for bottle of whiskey. The people VIII
believe in saloons are in the majorit
in Mankato at present but a campaig
of education should be carried on ths
all may become acquainted with tn
facts concerning the liquor business.
| With Mankato having such large ir
f1uX of students annually, the matter
having saloons or other places detriment
al to young men is of much importanc
The pool hall is an institution patror
lied almost entirely by young men, an
while recreation is necessary and dc
sirable, it is a question if this particl
lar kind is not more productive of har1
than anything else. With poor ventils
| tion the air blue with tobacco smok
and with nothing nDliftinp and man
stories and conversation of just the r,
; verse nature, the game itself affordr
a minimum of healthful exercise, it's il
fiuence cannot be said to be good ar
in most cases it is undoubtedly vel
harmful. If permitted at all they shou
be run under healthful physical. mel
tai and moral conditions. In the pa
there has been much complaint in MAJ
kato about these institutions though
present there seems to be less tha
! usual. Whether the laws are enforce
or not, do not know, but this is som,
thing that should be carefully watcht
and the laws should be rigidly el
forced.
The Public Dances.
Public dances are another amuseme
out of which much evil has grown az
which demands the most careful attel
tion on the part of authorities permi
ting such gatherings. 1t is not a que
ton easily handled but in view of Il
testimony given as to their evil infi
ences the utmost care should be exc
cised to see that they are conducted
such manner as to be above reproac
A recent item in the press stated tn
1 out of the first thousand girls commits
to the reform institution. nearly eve
one attributed her downfall to the pu
! lie dance hall. While this is probab
an eXaggeration there can be no que
tion but what great evil has grown o
with the presence of few young m
] who prey upon Young girls and the pu