Newspapers / The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, … / March 12, 1908, edition 1 / Page 8
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THErCHARLOTTE NEWS, MARCH 12, 1908. 8 A Model J own With No Saloon Is Hoopestown, And It Prospers 9 The Mayor Serves tor 50 Cents a Year And the Aldermen For 25 Cents Civic Pride is Great With The People. A Striking Illustration of The Failure of High License Adduced in The Case of The Harper Bill in Illinois. About twenty years ago the 'Har per Bill" was placed upon the statute books of Illinois. A meeting of the pastors of Chicago anil vicinity was called in the interest of this bill as a temperance measure, and addresses were made bv the most prominent clergymen of the city advocating the passage of the bill. The argument were to the effect that if the $3u license of the city was raised to 1. That it would close up all the low, bad places. 2. That the saloon-keepers who paid $i00 would aid in prosecu ting all who did not pay the high license. 3. That those who paid the $500 would obey the laws, re stricting the sale to minors and drunkards; also against selling on Sundays and at all hours of the night and all other restric tions lest they lose their license. 4. That the bad men and wo men would be kept out of the saloons, and that the places would be safe and respectable. 5. That every increase of li cense money was a step toward prohibition. My official connection with the American Anti-Saloon League and with the Citizens' League of Chicago for the suppession of the sale of liquors to minors and drunkards for over four years has brought me to the following facts: 1. I have found in Cook county and in twelve adjoining counties, that the higher the license the greater the violations of law al lowed by the local officials, and the more indifferent the public to those violations. Take Evanston. Oak Park, Hyde Park and Englewood as illustrations. These are prohibition districts, i where the people are actively interested in prosecuting viola tors of the law. "Bring Pig-' keepers are fined cr sent to jail. There is no open and but lit tle secret violation of the law against the sale of liquor. The neople follow their boys into the license districts adjoining and prosecute the saloon-keepers who sell to them. Four such cases are now in court brought by the people of Evanston. 2. In a city like Joliet, with its ninety saloons, Aurora with its forty saloons, which pay $1,-. 000 each per annum, there is no earnest effort made either by the officials or the citizen; to enforce the laws restricting; the sale of liquor. ; 3. The high license money af fects the officials as boodle, and the citizens as bribe money would affect jurymen. The offi cials, from mayor to policemen, say, how can these saloon-keepers pay this money if we cut off their business? They know that Sunday is the best day, because men are idle and have money. The all-night trade is the best time to rob, cheat and murder drunken victims. The common expression for this night work is: "If you catch a sucker roast him." Hundreds of saloons in Chicago live by midnight rob bery. The officials claim that it is not their duty to initiate a trial, that the individuals affected must make com plaint, look up witnesses, pay costs c.f court ,and bear all the burdens of prosecution, except to serve papers and make arrests on complaint. The people become discouraged and give up all efforts to restrain the traffic that supports officials and pays so largely the expenses of the city. Chicago saloons pay $r00 each or $3,250,000 per annum. This amount of money paralyzes public consci ence, deadens moral feelings and leads thousands of good people to apologize for the traffic. They ac cept of the falsehoods circulated by the public press as truth, without the least effort to learn the facts. They speak of those who challenge these lies sent out by the brewers and distillers, as fanatics and cranks, even preachers and church officials have done this in my presence. When will the Christian and moral people refuse to vote to support the drink curse? We believe God has a controversy with His church on this question. M. M. PARKHURST, Chicago. A MODEL CITY. The village organization of Hoopes ton. 111., was formed :n 1S74 and in 1877 it was incorporated into a city form of government. At that time there was one saloon here. At the spring election of 1877 a temperance board was elected. After a hard contested fight, by a small majority, the saloon had to go and there has not been one here since. There was a hard fight for several years to keep them out, but now the question is never brought up. When anyone is named as a candi date for alderman or mayor, the only question asked is, "Is he a temper ance man, and how does he stand on the rfiloon question?" Partv lines are never considered. The mayor serves for the munificent salary of Mty ceLi. pr year, and each al oernian foi" twenty-five cents per year. The wealthiest and most in fluential citizens of the city are always ready to give their services in any way to benefit the city. Mr J. S. McFerren, Hoopeston's first may or, and the wealthiest citizen of the place, is again serving .in that ca pacity. The city now has a popula tion of about 4,500; has about six and one-half miles of paved street, brick and asphalt, also about fifteen miles of permanent sidewalk. The Sprague Manufacturing Co., the American Can Co., the Hoopeston Horse Nail Co., the Hoopeston Pla ning Mill, and two large canning factories, all employing about 1,500 hands .with a pay-roll aggregating nearly $10,000 weekly, are our prin cipal manufacturing industries. The educational advantages of the city are of a high order. There are three fine, large public school build ings, and over twenty teachers are employed. Greer College is also lo cated here. They have a fine large college building, costing $40,000 with large campus and boys' and girls' dor mitories. This institution was built by funds left by Mr. John Greer, a former wealthy citizen of this vicin ity. We have a public library ot ! about 3.000 volumes, with good pros pects of a new horary building, dur ing the coming year, costing about $10,000. We have also a fine city building costing $6,000 and a township build ing now in course of erection, to cost $9,000, and a large, brick union depot costing $30,000. We also have a city water plant, owned by the city, costing $S0,000, on which there is a bonded indebtedness of $13,500, the only debt of the city. The reve nue of the water system is nearly 5,000 per year, and after paying operating expenses, leaves a hand some balance for extension. We also have electric lights and telephone system. Last year the rate of taxa tion was $6.82 on each $100 assessed valuation, or about $1.36 per $100, actual valuation. With the fine pav ed streets, on each side of which are large shade trees, with close cut lawns, and magnificent residences, many costing $10,000 to $25,000 each, combine to give the appearance ot a great park, more than a country town. The city derives its support from its fine farming community and is large manufacturing interests. In . reply to . your inquiry, , "Has the question ever come up, that the closing of the saloons would drive away the farm trade?" I would say, it has not. Soon after the closing of the saloons here we had a hard-! ware merchant who was a saloon man. He made the claim that the closing of the saloons would ruin his business and said he would go to a town where they had saloons. He boxed up a large part of his hard ware stock and shipped it to Ara bia, Ind. He remained in business there about six months and then shipped his stock back to Hoop eston, saying lie had all the business in a :"'." :i 'v--. e ". . ' 1 said "th. iur.:ur:j wo;:,.! L::ng in a load of grain and get the money for it and go to the saloon and spend it, and come and buy hardware and have it charged." He never talked saloons afterward. No sir, our merchants never make that complaint- They know that the "saloon bill" will have to be cash and their own bills wiU have to be "charged" on the books. O. P. CHAMBERLIN. There's Health XSN smzm. .cica.o err? scientist have proves the great valua of latnoni ia destroying the erm of typhoid and other fevers, lerms of diseases are deposited in t, . atm hw the failure off the bowels to act regularly. Mozlet's Egil IfXMou BuzirIs aa ideal laxative, Ega mu( fmm ltmoaa. and has ttO nttal for clennsinsr tho system of l, does not gripe r cSase say - i arug stores. :l8y' By s m Elsxlr. I m PAYING TAXES WITH BOYS. By Rev. O. R. Miller. Some people never can see any thing but the dollar argument in everything presented. Their first thought always is. Will it nav dollars and cents? We believe th the prohibition of the liquor traffic would greatly reduce taxes by re ducing court and pauper expenses. But even if it could be proved that prohibition does increase your taxes are you not willing to pay. something to protect your boys? It increases your taxes to maintain a police department and a fire de partment to protect your homes, but you do not object to this increase of taxes. Why, then, should you object to a small increase of taxes, if . necessary to protect the boys who live in these homes? If you vote for license in order to get the saloon's revenue to reduce your taxes, then you should be wil ling for your boy to patronize the saloon, for the saloons cannot run without boys any more than a saw mill can run without logs. If to get the saloon's revenue, you vote for license, will you contribute a boy to keep them running? Would you rather pay your taxes with your money or with your boy? Which? GET OFF THE HELL-BOUND TRAIN. Tom Gray lay down on the barroom floor, Having drunk so much he could drink no more, And fell asleep with a troubled brain, To dream that he rode on the hell bound train. The engine with blocjd was red and damp, And dismally lit with a brimstone lamp. An imp, for fuel, was shovelling bones, And the furnace roared with a thou sand groans, The boiler was filled with lager beer. And the devil himself was the engineer, The passengers made such a motley crew Church-member, Atheist, Gentile and Jew, Rich men in broadcloth and beggars in rags, Handsome young ladies and withered old hags, Yellow and black men, red and while, Chained all together a horrible sight, Faster and faster the engine flew, Wilder and wilder the country grew, Louder and louder thc thunder crash ed, Brighter and brighter the lightning Hashed. Hotter and hotter the air became. Till the clothes were burned from each quiv'ring frame. And in the distance was heard such a yell "Ha! ha! croaked the devil, "we're nearing hell!" And, oh! how the passengers shriek ed with pain, And begged the devil to stop the train, And he capered about and danced with glee, And laughed and joked at their agony, "My faithful friends, you have done my work, And the devil can never a pay-day shirk, J You have bullied the weak and rob bed the poor, ' And the hungry brother have turned from your door; You have gathered up gold where the canker rusts, And given free vent to your hellish lusts; You've drunk, and rioted, and mur dered and lied, Ar.:l mocked at God in your hell-born pride. You've paid full fare, so I'll carry you through, For it's only right that you get your due ; . For every laborer is worth his hire, So I'll land you safe in my lake of fire, Where my fiery imps will torment you forever, And all in, vain you will sigh for a Saviour." Then Tom awoke with an awful cry, His clothes soakod wet and his hair standing high, And he prayed as he never prayed before To be saved from hell and the dev il's power. And crying and praying were net in vain, For he never more rode on the hell bound train. Author Unknown. 8 M (1 ft ft ft ft l ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft 1! 8 ft ft ft ft ft tt o ft ft ; it :ngt: .-Sr. ,s, - jf r K - . v 'A , Makes You Think of the Many Thinns That You Wish to Do About the Home, WE HAVE THE tonal :mMf Tnn c Hl Char .8 8 UST SB o ! :!' i; W- I Put Annunciators" In Your House office, stable or factorv ;iUi; saving of time not up time but that of bovs ; We have the fixtures' and v wiring at an inconsiderable - '..", , .. wurrv mind. Everything pio,--t i Auten's. R. G. Auten Co 'Phone 1307 or 1302. These .Mattresses are slightly soiled, not enough to hurt. Just as comfortable as a Forty Dollar Hair Mattress. Money refunded if unsatisfactory. Mail Orders Filled as long as they last Furniture, Carpets, Rugs, Pianos ER' rble was SUCCESSOR TO Charlotte Marble & Granite Works MONUMENTAL AND BUILDING WORK IN ALL ITS BRANCHES CEMETERY AND YARD CURBS. Yard, West Side Southern R. R. Between Passenger Depot and Cemetery Gate. J. L. WITHERSPOON, Foreman. JESSE C. DRESSER, Prep. 'Phone 1697. fr H,M"IIH 4 I We w ai Bit a 1000 pennyweights of Old Gold Jewelry. Will pay full market value T in cash or exchange new goods for same. We make special order V pieces in our shop on ' short notice. Any kind of repairing dven I prompt attention. T 1 Garibaldi, Brims & Dixon Leading Jewelers. (INCORPORATED till ray : -1I(.U" Asa your drnjasistfoi -y&.m?WpJbp . iT I1H CailllUl. f.Ui-llV Lilt- -VH. J , ,'..". KARVB1. a.-.-t-pt no 1'thp.r YiT'.. Rpnrl RtfLinl) lor iliilliiillim A School with a Reputation for doing hiah-ara'de work, r ) equipped schools in the South. THE LARGEST, THE BEST. The strong est faculty. More graduates in positions than all other schools in the btate. Uookkeeping, Shorthand, Telegraphy and English. Write for hand some Catalogue. Address, KING'S BUSINESS Charlotte, N. C. or fol jl,"''r.r? oCil, 'nii-r.Mit in valuable to lmhea. M A If K I. O. 44 .!. DSd M. ret. Mr lUk. !NJCT!OW B3I Ef Tiwnnt Relief for the - MOST OBSTiNATR CAES WitllOUt iriCODVPIlH IV'H. No oilier treatment rect.dreil. feOLD ii AL1 lHZM:UiilHV: THE Combines Quality, Economy and Workmanship. The Lids, Centres and Anchor Plates are arched and ribbed to prevent warping. A "Guarantee Bond," the strongest ever offer- a ed, with each Range. The prin ciple difference between the "Matchless" and other high .grade Ranges, is the PRICE. COLLEGE Raleigh. N. U. Charlotte Hotel Refitted from top to bottom. Electric light. Hot and Cold Battti Excellent Table. Rates $1. to $1.25 a day. Rooms 50c. Charlotte, N. C. 1 Near City Hall- The Coal -That is i Bo Vou Remember What We Said Last Week About J.N.McGausland&Go 221 South Tryon St. Well, we could not say too much as they have no superior as to quality and scarcely an equal. . When you buy a "Charter Oak" you buy the BEST. Besides the best stove on earth we carry tfce most complete retail stock of general Hardware in the South. v Look at these specialties: Corbin Locks and Builders Hard ware, Charter Oak Stoves and Ranges,. Altas and Revere Paints Community Silver Ware, Gillette Razors. ' Draper and Maynard's Base and Foot Ball Supplies, Miller and Freebrand Pocket Knives. The world cannot beat this line of Spe cialties. All the BEST of their kind. COAB 11 1 19 ? 0 9 o , 0 and let us send you a load and learn the luxury ot q using perfect fuel, free from dust and slafe. 0 idard Blue PHONE NQ. andard ce & Fuel Hardware Co, (INCORPORATED) Phone 65. t 29 East Trade St. fa & OF & B8S2S UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT The Selwyn m EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN. European $1.50 cer day and up. American $3.00 per day and up. CAFE OPEN DAY AND NIGHT. Prices Reasonable. The Most Modem and Luxuriant Hotel in the Carolina. 150 ELEGANT ROOMS. ? 75 PRIVATE BATHS. Located in the heart of Charlotte, "convenient to railroad station, street cars and the busings and shopping centre. Caters to hih class commercial and tourist trade. Table de note dinners 6:00 to 8:30. Music every evening C -''i to 8:30. EDGAR B. MOORE. Proprietor. S3 fiJ s ' 110 ill in (J.
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
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March 12, 1908, edition 1
8
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