The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1918-05-02
A House Cleaning
For Natchitoches

The Shreveport papers OF last
week contained notices of q de-
ternined drive" by the city and
parish authorities against idlers,
Migrants, prostitutes and gamblers.
The Hon. John Nc. w. Ford, in
his official capacities as mayor of
the city, AMI as chairman of
Caddo Parish Council of Defense,
issued q ringing statement, setting
forth the urgent necessity of con-
serving the man power of the nat
ion, and of conscripting into the
various lines of work which all
the people are now called upon to
do. every able bodied man in the
community. and giving notice
that suche persons who are now
idle must either ''go to work or
go to war;.
Mr.. Hughes, the sheriff Of the
parish, is using all of the powers
which the laws confer upon him
TO accomplish the same purpose.
Several years ago, Caddo parish
abolished the saloon. The city of
Shreveport has long had an ordi-
nance against gambling, and last
fall the people adopted at a special
election a drastic ordinance sup
pressing prostitution. As a re-
suit Shreveport is one of the clean
est, most progressive and most
cities In the United
States.
What about Natchitoches? How
about getting together and having
a genuine cleaning up of our
town9
Natchitoches enjoysa the distinc-
tions Of being the only town or
city in north and central Louisiana,
and one of the very few in the
state. which gives TO gambling
and prostitution the quasi en-
iorsefnent of legal federation.
All of the cities of the state,
New Orleans. Baton Rouge. Lake
Charles. Alexandria, Monroe and
Shreveport and nearly all of the
towns aud villages have stringent
laws for the suppression of these
vices.
Does any intelligent person be-
lieye that tie people of Natchi-
toclles can no longer afford to be
out OF line in his mattera
The time may come when the
bright faced lads of today will
have to take their places on the
firing lIne. The National govern
ment IS exerting all of its power
TO keep the man life and the boy
life of the country morally and
physically pure and strong and
clean, to the end that the last
particle of man power shall be
available for the grim work of
war.
Shall we of Natchitoches, with
our proud records of patriotic
achievements within the year Just
passed, balk the government IN
this work by permitting institut-
ions to exist in our midst which,
the records show, are well nigh as
destructive to the efficiency of the
soldier as the bullet or the bayonet
or the Hunl
We are passing through the
darkest and deepest and bloodiest
tragedy ever enacted in the bis
tory of civilization--a tragedy
which involves the very life Of
free nations, our own included.
In such a time will snv patriotic
people tolerate the existence with
ia their midst of institutions
which hold drunken revelries at
night where the young manhood
Of the country is tempted to It's
moral and physical destruction9
The times imperatiyely demand
The stfictest economy OF every
man, woman and child, to the end
that the boys in the trenches shall
Be adequately clothed aud fed and
armed. At such time when men.
everywhere are making untold
sacrifices in order to buy Liberty
Bonds and Thrift Stamps and to
give to the Red Cross. The 7. NJ.
G. a. and the X. Of G., when
our women are knitting and sew
log and working day
and night, saving here : little and
there o llttle, in order to help e.