The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-08-03
SENATOR VEST
Dlscourses OF Temperance, Prohibit
ton, and Other Matters DE.
fines the Tariff Idea.

CHICAGO Aug. 2.-Senator George Vest
of Missouri, was interviewed in the Grand
Pacific hotel on the temperance and other
questions in Missouri, and among other
things said, in response to question as to
how the recent Democratic law for high IL
Cense for saloons was working in that State:
at is working first-1ate There is strong
temperance sentiment in all the strongly
Democratic counties in the state Take Clay
county, for instance, which gives a Demo
cratic majority in any state election, there
isn't a saloon in that county, and there has
not been for eight years. Take Saline county
with 2GD0 Democratic majority, it has re
fused all saloonkeepeIs licenses. and there
hasn't been saloon there for years. In
Clinton county which gives 500 Democratic
majority, no saloons are permitted TO exist.
So, in all the large Democratic counties in
Missouri the temperance feeling is very
strong. 1t is so in all southern communities
to a much greater extent than is imaginedup
here in the north. The feeling does not go so
fan as prohibition Our people do not be-
heye in that idea, and have deep seated and
almost constitutional objection to legislation
which attempts to regulate to such anicepoint
the relations between man and man, or which
seeks to 20 so far as to restrict the personal
liberty and movements, tastes, appetites, and
iudulgeuces of the private citizen They be-
leve universal education and enlightenment
is the only means by which the people can be
so trained upon this subject that they will
freely and willingly and spontaneously aban-
don the practice which has wrought ruin in
50 many portions of our country, especially
st Louis. The people of the southern states
believe rather in local option and high license,
though the temperance feeling is growing
stronger in every southern state particularly
since the war In Arkansas and Texas the
movement is especially strong" THE tax on
saloons in Missouri range from $500, the min
imum, to 81, 100, the maximum
'What is the feeling at the basis of this
movement
'NNen. that again is to the credit of the
south The southern people as rule are
very conservative, and far more religious
people than those OF the north They see the
evils Of intemperance, and have come to the
conclusion that this liquor traffic must be
controlled There Is strong temperance
element also in North and South Carolina,
where they are agitating the question of high
license or prohibition with n strong tendency
in both states toward local option and high
license, for the reasons have indicated.
The utter failure Of prohibition has con
trihuted to strengthen this tendency toward
local option and high license. In Topeka,
kas, for instance, the Salookeepers who re-
fuse to pay the state license are fined so
every month in the police courts, and thus
pay the city fines of $500 wear, nominally
as fines, in reality as a license This consti-
utional amendment to bring about prohibit
ton is utterly imperative, as it is in Iowa,
where liquor may easily be procured in any
Of the larger cities under the name Of AmeTi-
can winc; whereas in Nebraska high license
is success, as it is in all the counties in Mis-
sour where it has been tried "
II understand that in Missouri all public
gambling has been suppressed by law put
in force throughout the state, which Furnishes
gamblers with the penitentiary, and gam
bling has been practically suppressed
1t has. That has been the effect of carry
ing out the law, though the compelled en-
forcement was attended with difficulty. ow-
ing to the indifference Of the police authori-
| ties and the boards, particularly in st Louis
| understand, however that as one result,
the playing of poker has constantly and
| greatly increased, though there IS no longer
any faro, roulette, or keno in St Lonis,
Kansas City, or any of the cities or towns.
| Still | see she gamblers around St. Louis, and
| | presume they find something to do at the
| hotels They have done up that boys game
of keno however, everywhere"
How h0 Missouri Democrats feel about
| the presidential nomineesF
| There is a strong Tilden feeling in Mis-
souri now, as there always has been since
! 1876 Mr.. Tilden is very strong in Missouri
but there is also a strong feeling for McDon
aid, of Indiana Which is the stronger
couldn't say, because as yet there has been nc
contest between the factions that would indi
| cate or prove their relative strength. A great
deal depends upon the future The Demo
crafts in the country districts are particularly
strong for TiIden. How Grit Prather Mis-
souri's member of the national Democratic
| committee stands don't know"
How are the Missouri Democrats On thu
tariff 2
They are for a tariff for revenue only
| What do | mean: | mean tariff which viii
not Weld Il cent for the manufacturer, anc
money only for the expenses of the govern
mrnt not cent for the corporations thai
have fattened themselves upon this country
for over thirty years. Not to protect the in
durtres, but to carry on the government i
the whole scope and aim of the tariff rs Wi
want it, and if the government don't neel
the money cut the tariff down to nothing"
BURNED TO ASHES.