Omaha daily bee., 1888-10-30
Prohibition and Crime in iowa.

Prohibition and Crime I'm iowa.
. The New York Times: Judge Phelps,
First district, said that outside oil tho
enormous expense entailed upon tne
district by fruitless efforts to convict
violators, he saw no appreciable dihey,
encc in crime and criminal expenses
He favored repeal. Its penalties were
severe. its destruction OF property, pare
ticularly expensive breweries, so just
that he favored local option and high
license. The result now is no license
and free whisky. Judge Henry, Third
district, thought the law had done
"somc good" Judge Wakefield, Fourth
district, would not advise repeal OF the
law, although he thought there ought
to be license in cities OF the first and
second classes. He refers to the dcpre-
citation OF rents and real estate caused
by the driving out of the saloons and tho
existence of the Internationally busfs
ness. Judge Wilkinson, Fifth district,
thinks there ought to be n better law.
The present has broken up dram shops5
but has caused the sale OF n more vile
and injurious article of liquor, some OF
which is sold in drug shops. He gave
it as his opinion that 1.-The impure charA
actcr of the liquors now sold in this
state results in more injury to the peO'
Die tIltH WOulu TtSult VIC
crimnate sale of pure liquors" Judge
Fairall, Eighth district, finds that the
law has made no difference in criminal
business. He unhcsitatinglv favors re-
peal of the law because it will restore
millions of money invested in brewing
and wine-raising property which has
been contiscated to avoid the burden OK
taxation which will result in in its en-
forccment; to stay the tide OF emigra.
ton; and to check the evils inflicted
under the pharmacy law.
The question is one that figures so
prominently in politics here, and is to
have SO much to do with affecting the
votes of many citizens, particularly
those of foreign birth, that | thought it
worth while to examine the records OK
the state to see whether the opinions OK
prohibition judges that crime had de-
creased since it took effect were sup"
ported. The law began to operate just
before the close of the statistical year
1854. which begins October /. The mum.
Der of persons convicted in the state
from October !, 1888, to October \, 1884,
was ,592. The number of convictions for
the following year, the first in which the
prohibition law was in operation, was
,339. In the year ending September 30,
1856, the convictions were ,645, and in
the year ending September 80, 1887, they
were $40. In 1856 there was an in.
crease over 1855 of the convictions for
disturbing the peace, keeping gambling
houses, lewdness, misdemeanor, nuis.
ances and selling Intoxicating liquors.
The later returns for 1887 show more
convictions than in 1884 for adultery, as
sault and battery. keeping gambling
houses and houses of ill-fame, for traffic
in liquors, for keeping saloons, for
larceny, murder, nuisance. And | am
assured by observers in this city that
the violent suppression of the liquor
business has undoubtedly developed
other evils, such rs petty gambling and
crimes of passion that did not begin to
| be so common when the sale of liquor
was permitted under police restraint.
Whether it be true or not, it is new
| ertheleless believed by people in Des
| Moines that the city is disliked by
strangers, as many other cities in tho
| state are, not SO much because liquor
cannot be bought here, but because OF
| the prevalence of the narrow spirit OF
| dictation that makes the dictation pos
sible. Commercial travellers will not
stop here over Sunday il they can avoid
doing SO. The place is undoubtedly
| dull. A distillery that used 5000 BUSH
els OF grain daily, five breweries, and
arrangeme nts for feeding large num-
| UCE VI SotViS iioAiA WIZ ~ W. VI ehSoo
establishments are closed, and men
point to the great number of vacant
stores as one OF the immediate results
of the contiscation Of this property and
the scattering of the people who were
once employed in them. The city loses
about $2OO, 900 a year in revenue. Im-
| provements stop, business in real estate
drags, and the only undertakings that
attract attention are some doubtful
manufacturing speculations aad the
raids of country constables upon beer.
drinkers who buy their beer in st.
Louis or Chicago.