The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-07
ALEDo CORRESPONDENCE.
Excitement in Regard to Violations of
the Liquor LAVA Candid Review
of the Question--A Limb of the Law
Runs Away in Debt.
ALKno. Dee. q. Isle

Never, since in Aledo, have l observed
such general manifestation of interest on
the part of the public in court proceedings.
All through the week, the leading and al
most universal topic of conversation has
been in reference to the indictments found
against the druggists and saloon men, with
plenty of conjecturing as to what will be
the punishment inflicted by the court.
The high social standing of many of the
parties indicted for selling whiskey in vio-
lation of the law, together with the facts
that the punishment for the offense in
cludes Imprisonment, and that nearly ev-
cry other man in town is a witness, causes
an unusual degree of excitement.
In this, as in every other affair of the
kind, there are two factions, and each
throwing mud at the other in true partisan
style, 1t is my purpose to state the case
from perfectly impartial standpoint, and
Just as / learn it from the common street
rumors. One class of our citizens are ex-
tremely anxious to have the license law
enforced vigorously, and without fear, IA
vor or protection for any parties, whatso-
ever their social position, while another
class are manifestly DESTROYS of having
suspected guilty persons escape punish
ment-especially punishment by imprison-
ment. There is much elimination and re-
elimination between the temperance and
the license element. The former assert
that the license laws are openly and fla
GRAVITY violated daily, and the latter charge
that these accusations have their origin in
q spirit Of religious bigotry.
That the license laws have been violated
in many particulars, such as selling to
habitual drunkards, to minors, and selling
on the Sabbath, has already been amply
demonstrated in the conviction of all the
parties yet tried Along with other par
ties compelled to give unwilling testimony
before the grand jury in regard to the
surreptitious dealing in whiskey, was our
very worthy prosecuting attorney. His
proven connection IN this, with many other
charges openly made on the street, and
through the county papers, cause the
temperance people to feel as if they have
but little to hope for in their prosecutions,
so long as this Office is occupied with the
present incumbent.
An indictment, embracing about eighty
counts for selling intoxicants in violation
of law, was found against man by the
name Of Page, at Viola, over one year
ago, and yet the defendant has never been
brought to trial. At the instance of the
prosecuting attorney, the case has been
continued over from term to term, and
the general supposition is, that eventually
it will disappear from the docket 1t is
also charged on good authority that the
prosecuting attorney has been employed
by the year, at a stipulated salary, to d.
fend certain saloon keeper of this place
in the courts. When, last week, the in
dicted parties from Keithsburg, were al
lowed to escape without being prosecuted
before jury, and by the mere payment of
q paltry tine,a howl ofindignation assembled
that betokened the coming of storm, pOr-
tentous of dire results to somebody. Many
good people are coming to believe that the
thorn of the dilemma" presented to the
prosecuting attorney of this county several
months ago through the colnmns of one of
the newspapers, wherein citizen venti-
lated his official career, is about the exact
thing, 1t is bad enough, the Lord knows.
to have an inefficient prosecuting attorney,
but when to this are added grave charges
of collision with the very law-breakers he
is in duty bound to prosecute, the case
becomes desperate one indeed. and calls
for some action looking to radiance of al
unmitigated evil.
On Saturday last, two of the saloor
keepers of this place were found guilty by
the jury, and the judge pronounced thu
sentence of the law, which, in one case
was thirty days imprisonment and sixt!
dollars fine, in the other sixty days impris
onment and one hundred and twenty dol
lars fine. This morning the only remain
ing saloon keeper Of this place will be ar
raigned, after which comes the trial of tn
druggists. 1t is pretty generally presum
ed that these cases will in some name
be compromised, similar to the keithsbur
druggists" The manifest partiahty show
toward the proprietor Of drug store owe
a saloon keeper is commented on quit
freely, and heartily condemned. There
no possible reason why a druggist-th
offense being the same-should not hav
the same punishment melted out to him a
that inflicted upon the saloonists.
And now, in conclusion, for 4. few rC
marks in reference to the condition c
affairs that have their elimination in tt
prosecution, and the bad state of teein
above set forth. ln the outset, it is quit
patent to every person possessing a graf
of common sense, that our munich pa
license law is only calculated to bring abou
increasing trouble to those who engage j
the liquor traffic, and as q consequence er
gender a never. ending strife between cer
tain portions of our inhabitants, Both th
druggist and the saloonist are so environ
ed with technical restrictions that
Is almost absolutely impossible for theI
to avoid making occasional mistakes, c
violations of law. The former are permit
ted to sell for medicinal, mechanical an
chemical purposes A man goes to tn
drug store and solemnly AYERS that he is
want o! some whisky for either of the tire
purposes set forth, and then goes and use
it to the extent of intoxication. | can no
for the lie Of me, see wherein the druggi.
is guilty Of any intent in the violation
the law. So with the saloon keeper, wi!
is deceived by the minor, or the habitui
drunkard. He may be discreet, and ey
ercise all the necessary precautions, an
yet be entrapped into an involuntary VIC
alton of the law. If we are to have
license law, why not have it framed in
spirit OF fairness to those who choose
avail themselves Of its provisions, by pa,
ing good round sum for the privileg
If license works evil in our midst, and
detrimental to the best interests of 9
ciety, then, in the name Of common sens
do away with it. As the case now stant
it is undoubtedly more harmful in its e
fects, more degrading and demoralizir
than it every other house in town was
saloon. The man who gets a drink
whisky violates his word of honor, if
does not perjure himself; and the man wi