South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-11-30


BIZ Armstrong and Chan Fassett-ever men
tons South Bond again in humorous vein he should
be sued for libel; and probably viii be After the
great "hulsbsloo" that has been made because
Mayor Carson one day. IN facetous mood remark
ed that he would order the arrest Of every auomo-
bile driver who didn't have a barbecue tag on his
machine there seems no room for South Bend to
henceforth be trhed with.
Heavens but It serious. People who never
turned corner according 70 law in their lives %
whom speed limits are dead-letter. are who sport
splendid motor vehicles as though they were mill
ionaircs-but stln the butcher for the meat on
their bone.-and who haven't gone a day without
Grabbing" the condition Of the Niles road
since they put their automobile show" on-have
had the time OF their lives. paving the air splitting
fire. rate 70 their very llvers because OF the face
uous suggestion made by the mayor that they had
better kick IN with least one bone and get a
barbecue receipt for their windshield or they
would get picked up by the police"
What the purpose OF the barbecue? To ceie-
brate the opening OF the Niles road-Dixie high
wsy-tO interstate trafhc; event that means the
virtual addition OF $4,000 trading population TO the
city OF South BendI that brings Niles and Berrien
Springs. and St Joseph. and Buchanan and Benton
Harbor. and Dowagiac. almost as close to South
Bend street paving has brought NIshawaka And
barbecue always means a carnival The purpose
20 bring these southwestern Michigan towns
and South Bend together and usher in an era Of
good-feeiing to succeed that fTl-feeing that has
maintained. least on the part OF Michigan since
that state did its share complete the road and
while Indiana has been hanging back.
Well. Mayor Carson merely tossing the first
ball at the carnival have It authoritatively
too. not without the knowledge and desire of the
barbecue committee-though lot OF that commit
Tee deserted him IN # the moment the "crabbers''
began crab" Then they asserted that they knew
nothing about this including even the administra-
ton organ condonlng the "tight-wads" and calling
the mayor "twadder.'
Incident to which. we rest our case absolutely on
that term. "tght-wads- They are of the same type
Of people those who celebrated Armistice day
year ago. not because victory or that the world
had been made safe for democracy or anything Of
that kind. but because they so happy that
there would be drafts on their pocket
books for Liberty loan drives. Red Cross Y NJ c.
A., and X. OF c. contributions or to continue the
Chest Again. the same type of people as those
whose parsimony made it impossible to celebrate
Armistice day this year. have a home-weoomIng
for the soldiers and sailors whose victory year
appeared to make them happy.
This comment understand is no brief for the
barbecue. Even the Good Lord seemed to be against
t: perhaps. put It better sent rain and filled
the river dams. that the St Joseph valley can
electric power for her industries still for
while. though coal mining is at a standstiu
The point IS, that wise unwise: whether the
money could have been used to better advantage or
not. It was decided 10 have a barbecue, and South
Eend needs lot more OF the spirit which insists
that when It Is decided that something be done
the thing TO do IS to do IT, We can't all see things
alike; even a joke.
Mos, OF the hckers on the barbecue however.
weren't kicking on that They would have gone out.
had rain not interviewed. quite probably and Joined
in the feed. They weren't kicking either on what
Mayor Carson. in his ft OF enthusiasm said he was
going to do. but the fear that they might
10 embarrassed into letting go of dollar-or
cent We stand by the mayor He has done million
things since ne went into Office more deserving OF
public criticism than the mere cracking Of a joke
but. oh yes It may not have hit them in the pocket
book. What OF Il. If he usurps authority
through failure to exercise It. and lets bawdy-
houses. blind-tigers and gambling bells run wild?
We haven't heard any uproarious yell against that.
no-but then. maybe that ticlJes their funny
bone. instead or aggrsvating It; likewise with the
police departments transformation OF whisky into
water.
Indeed South Bends OF humor is at pretty
low ebb as its sense OF moral virtue They
call the mayors barbecue dictum "twaddle" if
they like but let It be 'twaddle and still the only
lesson he needs to learn" seems to be. never to
"twaddle where It is going to hit 'tight-wad"
stretch his purse-strings.
We certainly do take orrselves-alI-dred
ously 4n this mans town but wen come too some
day We have said t before. and repeat it now that
what South Bend needs isn't a carnival. but a
broken heart; CONDENSATION. flood or something.
70 bring al Of to suffering and our knees Then
viii get up ard cooperate. Just now we are
suffering from too much prosperity. porsimony
egotsm and bluff