Omaha daily bee., 1885-11-30
TO BOOZE or NOT TO BOOZE
That is the Question sorely Agitsting 0ur
Sister Commonwealth.
SCHEME OF THE RIVER CITIES,
\ Convention OF Delegates From the
Leading municipalities Called TO
Consider the Probibitory
Jumbo-Iowa Specials,
The LIQUOR Question In Iowa.

! high license and prohibition i'm Nebraska and
| Kansas, which Senator Sutton, republican,
! of Marshalltown, has been making, have ex-
cited great deal of comment throughout the
! state. Some OF the democratic papers think
they see in this movement TO repeal prohi-
| bition, led by Senator Sutton. But while tie
senator has been thoroughly impressed with
| the desirablity of LEGAL option law, and no
| doubt hopes in time to see such law in
| force here, yet he viii not take any position
! TO compromise the party, nor will he with
| draw from it his support, whatever attitude it
may think wisest and best TO assume this win
ter. The question of prohibition seems TO
| be uppermost In the minds of
all classes of citizens and various
| schemes are proposed for modifying, with
| strength or weakness, the present law. In
! the river cities there seems to be feeling
| that IT concerted action were employed some
| pan for permitting towns, where the prohib-
it9ry law is entirely imperative, TO license the
! sale of liquor could be adopted. To this end
| the mayor of keohuk proposed a confer
ence Of the mayors of the leading cities OF the
state, writing TO them the following letter:
DEAR SIR: Believing that there il a desire
on the part of large majority OF the citizens
! OF our large towns that our coming legisla-
| ture should enact some measure which viii
| OF Intoxicating liquors within their corporate
| limits, 4 suggestion has been made 10 me
which believe, at least, worthy ot cOnsidera-
| tion. 1t is this That a conference be held
| by the mayors or other representatives of our
| larger cities at some convenient place during
| tine month of December Ia decide upon a
| measure TO recommend. Let the conference
| be entirely nOn-partisan and outside of poll
tics NJ idea OF a law that could be the
| easiest passed would be to amend, not repeal.
| the present law, by giving cities OF certa n
| class, say lrst or second class, the authority
| to license, regua ate and prohibit the sale and
| manufacture of Intoxicating liquors within
! their limits: no license can be imposed eX-
| cept upon the payment of a license lee OF not
| less than-----dOllars. To be agreed
upon. If could get the mayors of Des
MOines Council Bluffs. Sioux City, Daven-
| port. Dubuque, and other towns, to join me
II IL, call OF that kind, lwon!d issue the call.
| What do you think of it?
In accordance with the above request the
following is TO be sent tomorrow by the
mayors of keokuk, Burlington, Dubuque,
| ottumwa, Council Bluffs and Sioux City. ad-
dressed 10 the mayors Of all cities OF 1000 and
| more population:
To rHE MISUNDERSTANDING that there is
n general desire on the part of the citizens of
| our larger towns that the ensuing legislature
| should enact su IN measures as Will give
! municipalities, under the proper regulations,
the right to regulate, license, or prohibit the
sale and manufacture OF Intoxicating liquors
| within their municipal limits, and further
believing that such legislation would be in
, the interest of temperance, good government
| and the welfare OF the law-ablding: peopYe
| of such communities, and also believing that
| united action on the part of our larger cities
| would De more, potent than individual
| efforts, YOU are therefore invited, with such
| other representatives as your city may desire
| to send, to participate in a non-poltical con-
| ference or convention, to be held by all the
cities in the state OF Iowa having popula-
| tion OF 1, 900 Or over, according TO the census
| of 1883, on the 10th day of December, 1885, at
the. city. council rooms in the city of Des
| Moines, Iowa, at 10 q. ~, such conference or
| convention to be held for the purpose or dis
| cussing the relief needed and agreeing upon
| such measures as 1t NAV be desirable to have
the legislature enact. Bling with you stats.
| ties showing the practical effect of the prOhib
| itory law in your city.
1t is quite likely that the mayors Of all the
cities or nearly all the cities referred to- would
approve OF the plan. But the difficulty is that
| legislature, and stand no chance whatever of
having their plans carried out. While the
! river towns seem TO think from their own
immediate observation that the prohibitory
| law is failure, the interior OF the state point
! to the large republican gain in the legislature
and insist that this is proof that the people
want no change in the law at present and de-
| mand that 1t be given a fair trial before it is
| repealed or materially altered
The members OF tile q. 4. II. in Iowa have
started out with the intention of raising
| $4,000, and asking the legislature 10 add
as much more for the purpose of erecting an
| appropriate monument 10 General Grant,
| probably here at the capital Ii has recently
| been suggested that instead OF putting s2yO,-
! 900 into monument OF granite OF marble
| that the sum be used for soldiers home tor
disabled soldiers here in Iowa. The idea is
| meeting with some favor, aud 1t Is not un-
| likely that in the near future soldiers home
will be built in this state, If not in the way
| proposed then as a separate enterprise. In
| fact, the platform OF the republican party this
year recommends. that the legislature make
suitable appropriation for such a home.
| There are large number of old soldiers in
| Iowa who need and would enjoy the Dement'S
of such an institution. There is no national
/ %. ttAF