The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1920-01-30
THE APPROACHING CITY ELECTION.

The Sentinel has never espoused the cause of any candidate
for a city office. 1t shall not do so in this campaign. But there
test that we feel it our duty to the community to advert to.
When we say sin the air" we are not unmindful of the fact
that our elections, national, state, county and municipal, have
taught us to expect more or less dust and insinuations about
what the other fellow or the other side is going to do or is not
from nobody, if the hope that it shall not be does not linger in
the breast of any one within our beautiful and home!oving little
city, all well and good and our observations here will tread up
It has come to US several different times that there are quite
a number in Grenada now who insist that Grenada has reached
that point of growth and development where bawdy houses are
tents WITHIN Ane our srI sa tt tine these city pa authoritie sne should p not m e1est
them. In plain language they should be invited here. 1t is
not best to watch gambling too closely and that officers should
not see too much. In short, that we should have a "wide open
town.
To yield one inch to the wide open town" sentiment would
be for Grenada to blacken the good name she has d~eservedly
established. 1t would mean the serving of notice on the many
families who have located here, because the town is famed as
IAN ideal residence point, that they are not wanted, and that
the majority of the people of Grenada have turned away from
the best and mos sacred things things that mean for ideal
home life and character building in the boys and girls, the
IyOung manhood and the young womanhood of the community.
1t would serve notice on the parents and guardians of the young
en- faith with the College and that harlots, the gambler and the
fellow who believes in night maraudings, is preferred above
beautiful, sweet and lovely college girls.
If, as we say, there are those planning to thus undermine
the social life of the community, we do not believe that they
tlemen seeking the office of Mayor. On the contrary, the rec
ords of both men as officers show that they will stand for the
before the public and when Mr.. Doty was mayor, the law vo-
I ltG found him vigorous and active: But the mayor can do
iA4GUS W A4AADNAls AN IAAoS A0NS wiz oo oA o(ufN
ton of the City Council.
We believe in a sane enforcement of the law. In other
words, we do not endorse straining out gnats while swallowing
camels. There are some petty matters oftentimes that should
have the admoniion of officers rather than treatment in court.
We repeat, if what we have heard several times about " a
wide open town be without foundation, then our observations
are a shot into the air. But if such be the purpose of any num-
Der in the community, it is vel. that the matter be discussed now
before the election rather than afterward. Any matter agrees
sively pushed in a campaign is supposed to be ratified at an
election unless those who hold opposite views combat it.
Should any group OF men through any mistaken idea of public
policy, or for any selfish end, undertake to make Grenada a
wide open town the next city administration would find it.
self in hot water all the while, and the community would be in
a state of strife and turmoil. There are too many good, de-
termined citizens in Grenada who are not afraid of standing
for the right to stand for that sort of a thing.
If it be urged that these wide open" matters are necessary
for the boys" we most enphatically demur. We are the
friend of all the boys. We have several boys of our own and it
is our aim and constant endeavor to plan as best we know how
for their future. We are interested in e~verybody's boys. If
perchance de disagree with the boys about any matter, the
disagreement comes not because we would not serve them we'll,
but because the experience handed down to us from the ages
past and our observation of the past fifty years forces another
conviction on us. Our duty is plain.
Whenever there is question of morals or right living raised
in a community, there is but one side for the thoughtful citizen
to get on and that lis the moral side. For our part we shall al
ways get on that side and do all that lies within our power to
uphold the banner that our mothers, wives and s~weethearts
will endorse and of which we will be ~unashaned of as the years
go by.
Would a mass meeting be amiss so that all the cards might
be laid upon the table?