The city itemizer., May 15, 1913, Image 1

About The city itemizer. (Water Valley, Miss.) 1894-1918

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The City Itemizer.
H. A. LEE. Editor "Devoted to the Interest of the Editor, Exclusively." $1.00 T«t
VOLUME, 19
WATER VALLEY, MISS., MAY 15, 1913.
NUMBER 30
Does it? Who Says It?
The following extract from the
pen of Lora S. LaMance we take
from the little book, “Destroying
the Destroyer.” It gives some in
teresting figures which we want
our readers to see:
Who says prohibition is a fail
ure? The brewer and distiller?
Yes, they say it. Who else says
it? The saloonkeeper and the bar
tender? Yes, they say it, and say
it a dozen times a day. The sot in
the gutter? Yes, he says it', and
he certainly looks like it was a
failure. The man who violates
the liquor laws? Certainly he
snys it, and does all in his power
to make it so. Tbe whiskey drug
gist? Yes, both of them are the
chief abettors in their community
.of that very state, of affairs.
Who says prohibition is a fail
ure? The gambler? Yes, he says
it, and he associates with the very
set that would make it a failure.
The whole set of boot-leggers,
joint-keepers and blind-tiger men,
they say it. Of course they do,
and do their best to make it so.
What does the United States
Government say? Fifty miles of
saloons closed in 1908, and the
liquor bill less the year before by
$17,000,(XX) 00. That's going some.
And in 1009. forty-one saloons
closed « day. Sixty miles of them
closed in the year, over two mil
lion less barrels of whiskey drunk,
and the estimate drink bill lowered
by $412,000,000.00.
What do the liquor men say
among themselves? Julius Lieb
man, the l^ead of the Uuited Brew
ery of the United States in an
address to the brewers in June,
1909, said that the prohibition
wave has cutrailed the output of
beer in the United States over five
million barrels in eighteen months’
time.
In a private tetter to a saloon
keeper friend, one of the largest
wholesale wineries in the country
lamented that “Here in Virginia
we are lighting for our very exis
tence; if this thing continues much
longer we shall all be broke, even
if we win.” Which may not be
an over-grammatical sentence but
one plain to understand. The
writer continues: “In the last
year we have lost over $300,000.00
of established trade, legislated out
of existence.”
Do you ever say that prohibi
ts a failure? Think a minute.
Do you want to train with the
crowd that is always saying this?
Use your common sense. If as
much whiskey is sold under pro
hibition as under license, in the
name of common sense, why do
not all the saloou-keepers work
for prohibition, save their license
mpney, and sell as much as ever?
When they move heaven and earth
to defeat prohibition and pour out
money like water to do this they
acknowledge by their actions that
prohibition prohibits altogether
too well to suit them
Why Not Pension Worthy
Mothers?
John Wilson, a plasterer lived
happily with his wife and two
small children in his own home in
the suburbs of a city. One day he
disappeared, leaving his wife to
face the cold world, short of money
and weakened by the anxiety and
the strain of maternity consequent
upon the birth of a third child
soon after his desertion. To be
with her children Mrs. Wilson
sought work she could bring into
her home and became a laundre'ks.
Her average earnings were barely
five dollars a week. That sum
hardly provided food. She lost
her home and went to live in three
tiny rooms. For four years she
toiled for her children. Then she
appealed to the Juvenile Court
for help, “I don’t want you to
take my children from me,” she
told the judge. “I will not part
with them under any circumstan
ces. What I ask is that the state
give me the amount of money that
it would have to spend for my chil
dren if they were put in an insti
tution. With that help, I could
take good care of them and help
them grow up to be good men and
women.”
Do you think she got what she
asked for?
“You are a good mother,” the
judge told her, “and you deserve
the assistance you ask for. I am
sorry to say that it canuot be given
There is no provision in our laws
for such assistance. The only way
I can legally help you is by put
ting your children in a home for
orphans.”
What this mother had asked for
was that the state, instead of spend
ing so much per capita for her
children's maintenance in an insti
tution, should give her the same
amount of money for her children’s
maintenance in their own home.
In short, she had asked for what is
techinally known as a mother’s
pension.
Last November, the women of
Boise met and organized a Moth
er’s Pension Association, The
object of this association, as stated
in its constitution, is “to join with
other organizations in assisting
unfortunate mothers to provide
for children dependent upon them,
and especially to prevent the sep
aration of children from worthy
mothers,” The membership is to
consist of “women willing to give
their time, strength and means in
assisting women less fortunate than
themselves.”
At the same time the womeu
will present a bill to the State
Legislature askiug, not for moth
ers’ pensions, mark you, but for a