Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-08-14
SIOUX CITY's Y
Mr.. Cleland's speech ON the haddock
Assassination.

asked to come forward, the purpose OF
it, ! suppose. I fully understand and APP
probate and l can say to you that L am
glad to be here with the citizens of
Sioux City and say a word to them in
record to the matters that have trans
pired in our city, and which are so heart
lily condemned by all honest citizens. /
am glad to be with you tonight and be
afforded an opportunity to, perhaps, in
part, explain my position as mayor of
your city. / of course feel proud that l
have been elevated to that position and
I can honestly say to you that / have In
all ways and on all ocsasions %endeavored
to show a just and q true appreciation of
that position and of that honor. l sup
pose from the remarks that / have heard
here tonight that it is the desire Of
these people here assembled to know
somewhat of the position the city gov
eminent and myself ct .he head OF alat
government, have taken in regard to
the enforcement of law in this city, and
upon that point 1 am ready now and at
all times to be heard and to give express
sion with reference thereto. (Applause.)
l came into Office as mayor of Sioux City
March Is, 1886. I had known somewhat
of the efforts and attempts that had
been made 10 regard to the prohlbitory
law in Sioux City, and 1 conferred with
pro~hibltlonists, or with those who repre-
sented that clement conferred with
conservative business men, with radical
business men and with men of all classes,
and attempted SO far as | vas able to
gain an expression of the desire and dis
position of the people of this city, not
only upon that question alone, but upon
all questions, and / have attempted to
reflect it, as / have thus gained it. At
THAT time I believed it to be true, I be-
lieve it Is true now, that the prohibl-
t~ionists of Sioux City did not believe
that the law conld be enforced at that
time. 1 was givenly plainly to under
stand by them that they did not feel
that they were ready to do anything at
that time towards the enforcement of
the law. I knew that had been the
opinion of your best people
at least, / knew the saloons
were running rampant, and ]
%counseled with the people upon that
question as to what was best to be done
with that evil, and they said to me that
they did not know; they said they bellev-
ed prohibition was o fixed fact, but they
did not feel that they were able to do
anything to enforce the law, and l said
to the temperance men of Sioux City,
and L said to DIR. Bedford Gas I supposed
him to be the head and front of the tenn
perance movement in Sioux City, upon
three different and separate occasions,
before that ordinance passed, that ]
wanted him to distinctly understand,
and the prohibitIonists of this city to
understand, and all the good people oil
Sioux City to understand, that if there
was an effort or desire to enforce the
prohibitory law 10 Sioux City, that nc
act of mine should interfere in any man.
ner with the enforcement of that law
That is the position the city council
and /, as it's head, occupied in this mat
ter. And / told him further than that
that | did not believe that this city OF
it's officers were justified in allowing the
condition of things to exist as they ex,
listed here at that time; that there
should be some regulation and there
should be q revenue from these
men towards ~defraying the police ex,
penses of this city, and il they, the pro-
~hihitionists, were not going to do any
thing that then the saloons should pay {
revenue; that the saloons should OBJ
serve the Sabbath day; that the saloont
should close at night, some time, anG
remain closed until the next day, anG
that women and whisky should be
separated. Applause. Upon thit
principle the ordinance was passed, anG
/ want to say to you, ladies and gentle
men, that that ordinance has been en-
forced 80 far as the CITY was able to de-
it. l say to you now that there has
beer an observance of the Sabbath day
by the saloon element Of this city tina,
has not existed here for some time. ]
say that the saloons have been closed q,
night. ] say to You that there is not {
dance house in Sioux City to-day, anc
this has all been brought about by this
ordinance. Applause. And / ask you
in your calm elaboration, in view o.
all this, / ask you whether or not there
has been any good or practical benefit
arising and resulting from this ordin
ance. l do not consider it q duty any
more devolving upon nj as mayor Of
this city than devolves upon every
other man III hearing Of my voice te
rise up and aid and assist
in the enforcement Of this law
The legislature in passing this Clarl
bill, which is now known as the prohlbi
tory law OF Iowa, endeavored in every
way to take the enforcement of that law
30 Ear as was possible, from the munich
palities OF the state. In the speeches
that were made pending the passage O
that law that particular question wal
under consideration, and it was deemed
advisable and best that 1t should no
enter into local politics, and it wal
sought to place Its enforcement as far o.
possible from those whom it was intend
ed to restrain. That was the theory o
the law; and l say to you when you sigr
this declaration. and when you NEE
here In this meeting, that q duty de
wolves upon you, every n
/ want to say to you hat the city gov
eminent of Sioux City is not in an,
manner, as you ought to know, antaeo
nIstic to the best element of Sioux City
that the city council and myself at it
head propose that every man, woman
and child in this city shall hsys til,
right to give utterance to their senti
ments in this city, and that they shall
have the right to safely frequent an,
part OF it, day OF night, as far as We or,
able to protect them, and we will us
our best e%ndeavors to do that. / an
perhaps q little war; over this matter
! have been ceDsured, not, perhaps, in
divldually. as I believe, buttha city sour
Gil and innocent men of Sioux City haY,
been. What / have said in this conneo
ton | have simnly said to illustrate tn,
fact that l understood from conversatio,