Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-11-15
Will They Force the Issue?

u Il
On principle we have always oppos-
ed Prohibition: not because the will of
the people is powerless to overcome
and suppress the distillery, the brewery,
and the saloon, as some people con-
tend; but because we have believed
that moral people was never, aud
never will be, create. by legislation.
And this we believe to be the seDti-
ment of the people. A vice is not a
crime, and where the vice pertains to
and affects the vicious individual alone,
we have always contended that his
more upright nelghbor, or his neighbor
weak i'm another direction, had naught
to do with him, A community legis-
lates to protect its members one from
another, but not to eliminate the lesser
vices which DO not concern the com.
munity as such. For these reasons
briefly stated, we have opposed such
legislation; and to-day stand where we
have always stood under similar con.
ditions.
If the conditions have changed in
Missouri, that change has been wrought
by the parties most deeply interested
the makers of and dealers in malt and
alcoholic Iignors. All over this broad
land, from the time of the first white
settlement on the Atlantic coast down
to the present, Sunday has been OBJ
served as day OF rest and worship; the
laws have enforced its observance; and
our people have upheld the laws. In
the chief city of this state, however, an
exception was made, "by special law
which ought never have disgraced our
sta,ute-books," as the ST. Louis Repub-
Tic fifty says. This law, passed in 1851,
was subsequently abrogated, but the
refused to submit, and did not submit,
even after the court of last resort had
passed upon the question. They for
sooth, considered themselves above the
law, and greater than the people be-
hind the law. They became possessed
of deadly hatred to David r. Francis,
mayor of st. Louis. because he, in pur-
suance of his official cath, declared
that, in obedience to the sovereign law
of the State, the saloons and beer-gar'
dens must close on Sunday. That ha-
ured was made Inadvertently manifest
at the late election, and Mayor Francis,
as candidate for Governor, was "snow-
ed under" about 10000 majority was
given his opponent inf the city aId the
county-tbe result ola compact between
the boodlers, the dives, and the broth
81 saloons.
These elements did not knife" him
because he was Democrat, or because
his opponent was Republican,: they
simply took an impotent revenge up
On him because he had done his duty
ss an official. They evidently intend
ed to make the election warning to
ell public officials. and show them that
the law must be ignored when its en-
foreement interfered with the Holy
Beer Saloon!
On election day the counters of the
political saloons of the city were strewn
with ballots of every kind, hut on the
Regular Democratic Ticket Francis
name was scratched" every time, and
as high as twenty dollars was paid to
one voter to ignore the head of the
State ticket. Every bar-keeper In the
dives was Driber, and the man he
was "aftern was Francis. Hundreds OF
thousands of dollars were spent In this
way, and the Doodle furnished by the
dives, the saloons, and the brewers,
did its work efftclually in the city. Not
only this, but rolls of greenbacks were
sent out into the country districts to
corrupt the voters-evidently, In order
that the city saloon might yanquish
the Sabbath, and the Beer-Garden
override the Church.
Since the ST. Louis Saloon has gone
into politics, and feels SO good over its
late venture. the people may favor Civ.
ing it all the politics it wants, and a
little more, by way of good measure
Since the brewers and the distillers
and the lesser satellites SO love the tur-
moil of politics that they joyfully scat
ter their wealth without stint, they
may be overloaded with opportunity
by an outraged people.
To this end, if the legislature be fore
ed to submit to the people of Missouri a
Prohibition Amendment who will be
20 blame?
AS we stated In the beginning, un-
der ordinary surroundings, we believe
our people are not in favor of Prohibi-
ton; but when they are forced to
choose between Sunday and the Sa-
loon, betwe cen the Brewery and Brib-
cry, between the Dive and Political
Decency. their position will admit of no
question. Unfortunately they can take
no middle or conservative ground.
High license will not reach the brew
ers and distillers, and they appear to
have been the head and front of the
assault upon Honest Elections. Their
underlings (the dive saIoons) were the
conduits through which the Doodle W as
discharged, but some of the Brew
ing Associations were at the fountain
head.
If the Legislature votes Submission
it will afford the Liquor Associations
an opportunity to dispense their sur
plus Doodle!