Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-01-14
LOCAL OPTION AG IN.
sKArTLE, Jan. IL, lscs.
EDrTs1 PosT-fxrnLIsxxcxa

ckATTkK, Jan ii, lsc6.
EDITOR PosT-ixTnLIexxokH
An article in this mornings is@ae OF
yo ar journal 10 % utterly reckless in u !,
statements concerning the history Of
toe Local Opsien er Prohibition mavs-
msnt, thas 1 beg Leave 20 rsply. Your
correspondent makes shis astounding
sseeftion: Statistics show that while
ethef states have increased IN wealth
snd population in the last Ave years.
maine, Iowa and Kansas hzv. BEEN a.
oompiete stardstill.r why did not Mr..
hemrich give os some Of these all
Important statistics? Simply because
they do not exist. defy hin, or any
defender Of the liquor trahc. 70 preducs
anv suoh proof. As a matter Of fact,
All such statements are utterly without
foundation in truth.
lake the State Of Maine, the frst
gwen After trying this standstili I"
Process :or quarter of q century an-
der statutory prohibition, q little over a
year ago Its citizens pot a Prohibition
amendment In the Stste Constitution by
a majority Of 44,253. Mr.. Heinrich
seems 10 know q great deal more at oai
the State Of Maine than does its Gov
sruor, Who, In his last annual message,
written q year ago In the midst OF the
general business depression. says:
Comparatively few people In Maine
during the past year have unsucce ssfully
sought employment, and cases of suffer
ing from enforced idieness have been
infrequent. No equal nuuber OF pspo
istion can boast of larger number OF
comfortable and happy homes. 10 NO
state IN the Union IL there less suffering
froD poverty, and in none are thsre more
sasilisies for earning livelihood"
In the same ofbciai paper the Governor
Ross on TO show that the reduction Of
Indebtedness In cities, towns and plan
tstions vas t824 ,023 the last two years,
aHd the increased taxable valuation
S2,453, ,668 during the same time. There
vas an iporease In deposita in the 81
savings banks Of nearly $1,000, 60
from 1858 depositors, or one-six,h OF
the population.
Her manufactures Fapidly and stead
Ily increased; 6S52 spindles were added
to her cotton mills during 1888 alone.
Her shipping during fsur years had
increased - Cog tons. This is the way
Maine has been standing still during
she past I've years. These 10 one item
thss 70 almost Q standsiili, as shown by
the Governors report. That is crime
During the year 1885 shere we're received
into the State prisons Of Maine only 81
conviets, and ~ Vere discharged. The
number OF prisoners at the end of the
20. was l63. which was bot one 10 every
1891 OF the population; xhiIe New Ysrk
under licensed whisky had one oonyiet
for every 577; while, on the other hand,
ieva, under Prohibition, has only one
- =
the way Prohibition ruins states.
Mr.. Heinrich wakes extremely elo
quent and exclains: For instance,
every saloon In Seattle should be closed |
today. Have those agitating Prohibi- |
ton reflected over tbs oonsequencesT
While the horror stricken Populaoe are |
N see what has been the effect else |
where. Iowa 10 one of the States |
cursed" by Prohibition. The city OF |
Dss Moinss in that State, several times
larger than our own Queen Oitv, has |
tried the experiment.. aud this is what |
the State Register. the leading Republi
can journal of the State. says about the
result:
who in Des Moines will say, as he |
looks ever the situation now, that the |
change has not been for the very mate |
rial good Of Dss Moinss? IL prohibition |
had not been enacted, the south side Of |
Walnut street largely from Fifth street |
west would have continued to be occu- |
pied by saloons in old shanties, and |
occupied By business that added no |
thing TO the wealth Of the city, and that |
constantly robbed II. But for the pro- |
hibitofy Law there would be the same |
cid row Of rotten shanties and misera- |
BILE saloons In that part Of the city. |
Instead, We now have fine brick build |
ings aud substantial business houses, |
adding hundreds Of thousands Of dol |
lars to the taxable property Of the city. |
adding 70 the business volume of the |
oiiy. and giving employment 20 hun
dreds shere fves we're not employed |
before"
think Seattle soald afford to try tha,
experiment.
A recent writer on the situation in |
Kansas. writing from personal observa-
ton, says:
"Ons Of the best results Of prohib,-
ton is illustrated IN tho case OF resi- |
dent Of Topeka. Before The passage of
the amendment be ran butcher shop
and a saloon side by side. His custom.
ers would come into bis saloon and,
after buying q drink, would pass around |
to his meat market and purchase sop
plies for home use Under this plan e |
sold every week one side OF beef. When |
the liqaor Law was passed and he vas
obliged TO slose mp has saloon, be aver
aged SIX sides Of beef per week. and tue
neiehbors' children have lost their eaunt
and hungry look. This case has thou |
sand parallels throughout the State,