The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-25
FIGURES FOR PROHIBITION.
An Examination of the Recent Statement as
to Failure of the Iowa Law.


Des Mones Register.
An examination of the statistics collected by
the Davenport Democrat shows that they are not
quite overwhelming in their condemnation of
prohibition as some had expected. The field
represented is not by any means calculated to
furnish a fair showing of the working of proh-
btion, thirteen of the twenty nine cities
quoted, are river towns, or i'll adjacent counties
and under what is known as the river influence
In these towns, as is we'll known, but little or
attempt has been made to enforce the law. and
SO it never has had fair trial there. Very
naturally, therefore, the bulk of the
testimony adverse to prohibition Is furnished by
these towns. Of the twenty nine towns that
report thirteen furnish the opinion of somebody,
mayer, marshal or clerk as being in favor, con
ditionally or Internationally, of repeating the
prohibitory law. OF these thirteen, ten are
from river counties where practically no effort
has been made to enforce the law, and naturally
enough it is believed failure. In those river
towns the returns are about the same IN each
They say without exception that liquor IS
openly sold, that there are about the same num-
Der of saloons as before the law went into effect
in some cases few mOre-and that there are
about the same number of arrests for drunken
ness there were before, which would natural
~ be the case if the first statements were true
Of the sixteen towns that furnished testimony
not under the influence of the river counties,
but two Boone and Charles City, reported
somebody in favor of repeating the law. Of these
Charles City, that reports through its mayor,
admits that no liquor is sold openly and no
saloons are known to exist Boone reports more
saloons but less drunkenness. In most OF these
towns where an earnest attempt has been made
to enforce the law, the most satisfactory lndlca-
tons of its success might be observed. Thus
Charlton says that while some saloons are sup
posed to exist, no liquor is sold, and the arrests
for drunkenness compared with last year
less in the ratio of one to twenty.
AS only drunken man is found to
arrest under prohibition where twenty
were arrested before the law went into
effect. the mayor observes that they find
their city revenue quito equal to the
demands without the income that the saloons
formerly paid. AnamOsa, which comes under
the influence of the river towns, reports open
sales of liquor, and only one saloon supposed to
exist. Prohibition has been enforced there, it
reports, with almost complete success" Cedar
Falls reports no open sales, no saloons known to
exist, decrease in arrests for drunkenness a
successful working of the law, and this closing
advice: Let Us give it a fair trial" The mayor
of Usage says there are no open sales of liquor
no saloons, and prohibition Is sustained by the
moral sentiment of town and county. The
mayor of Wlnterset gives the same report, and
says there is not half as much drunkenness as
there was a year ago, when there were no
saloons but two club houses
Manchester, which also comes under the influ-
ence of a river county, reports through its mayor
open sales of liquor, saloons known to
exist, and success in the enforcement Of the law.
The mayor of Centerville insists that prohibition
does prohibit and declares that the law is en-
forced there completely and absolutely. The
most significant testimony he furnishes is his
official statement that during the past wear there
was but one arrest for drunkenness as against
1874 the year before. The mayor of Abba reports
splendid showing for prohibition in his town.
No open sales of liquor No saloons, and drunk
enness decreased IS per cent In answer to the
question: How is the revenue formerly derived
from saloons obtained nowW he says: ''Fhe
revenue is derived in the usual way. by tax
ing the city property, anc not, as In the
days of license, by taxing drunkards' wives
and children, and making them pay it through
the saloon keepers" Carinda reports through
its mayor that prohibition works finely there
that there has been little occasion to enforce the
law, for the saloon men all quit the business in
good faith year ago, when the law took effect
He says that the result of prohibition has been
to reduce the police force, that the revenue
formerly furnished by the saloons is hardly
missed Maquoketa which is in a river county,
shows the influence of its surroundings and re-
ports fourteen saloons, two more than last year.
The correspondent from that place says there
have been spasmodc efforts made to enforce the
law, but ne claims that they have not been di-
rected impartialiy. Mason City reports through
its mayor no open sales of liquor. no saloons
known to exist, fewer arrests for drunkenness
than formerly, and successful trial Of prohi-
bitiOn.
If these reports show anything they prove
that, outside of the saloon belt which fringes
Iowa along Its east and west boundaries, pro
hibition is accepted and enforced as faithfully as
any other law, and is proving of incaculable
benefit to the people. A law which can make
such showing after but one years use is GER
tainly entitled fair and full trial before it is
condemned. Still more remarkable is the as
sertion that this number GIG represents an in
crease of 146 during the year In other words,
that during year under prohibitory law
there are 146 more places selling liquor in these
twenty nine towns than there were before the
law went into effect and right on top OF this
information comes the demand for the repeal of
prohibition. All of which is little too gauzy to
be accepted by sober minded men.