Empty Stores In The City

Editor Argus:- There have been several attempts made to show tliat wilh pnihibition enforced no difference willbenoted in tlie number of stores standing idle in the city, but as usual the promulgators of that sort of twaddle fiive no reasouable data or showjng of any kind to base sucli so called ai gumeuts on. We are as usual asked to take tlieir empty word for it. Let us then íor once look upon this question fahmindedly and reasonably. ïhere are to-day idle the following stores. One of Mr. Fantle's on S. Main st., one of Mr. Kitsnn's, on N. Mam st., the store of Mr. J. D. Heinrich on fourth st. has been idle since the day Iib quit keeping a saloon a year ago, one of the St. James block stores is.only used when an auctioneer has a bankrupt stock to unload or when the constable sells the effects of sotne un fortúnate for Shvlocks pound of flesh. Near the Oook House is the empty store of Mrs. Devany, a widow who has her all upon earth invested in those four walls. Now, if these stores are already empty and cannot be let at a paying figure, how mucheasiercan they be let when all those places, now occunied tor saloon purposes are thrown upon the market? Will not every business building in the city deprecíate in valué? Now let us look at the men who are clamorins? so industriously for the welfare of the dear people, who want to save you so much money by tnrowingaway over $40.000 of the County's revenue for you to repiace out of you pockets, who want to créate a demand for buildings now idle by forcingothers to lie idle. Do they own any? Are they men who have done anything to help build up our city? Are they not notorious f ailures as business men? in short should local prohibition carry in ur county and this liquor tax be lost to the taxpayers, will it cost these men anything? These are questions for men of sen&e to answer to themselves on Monday next. Will property owners see their property depreciated in value and their taxes raised? Will the mechanic and the laborer vote for a lesser demand for his services and thus reduce his income? You ave certainly free to do so, if , howeyer, you don'c want that state of tilines, then vote for the manufacture and sale etc.