New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-02-06

| Minnesota does not want prohibition.
1t says of the situation!
'.rhe daily submission of prohibition
petitions in both houses of the legisla.
ture is arousing more than passing in
terest as to what the legislature will do,
if anything. in the way of changing the
laws governing the liquor question in
this state. These petitions have come
IN with a rush, and from so many quar-
ters Of the state, that the Legislators are
beginning to wonder themselves what's
the best possible position for them to
take in the matter. The question seems
to be whether the matter will be
submitted to the people at a special
election. as the petitioners request.
Is the state ready to accept prohibi-
ton? This is question: that is being
often asked by interested persons just
now. Sentiment is pretty well divided
upon this temperance question that's
certain. The third party Prohibition
lists want the amendment submitted to
the people. There is another strong
faction who would favor q local option
bill being passed and a third large Sec
ton Of the people are satisfied with the
present high license law. There are
many people of strong temperance sem
timents who claim that the state is not
ripe for prohibition and feel satisfied
that it would be !. serious mistake to at
tempt to pass such law at this time.
One only needs to touch the pulse of
the representatives Of the people in the
present session to find out this state Of
things. A Journal reporter took
partial poll Of the legislators to-day.
asking:
care you in favor or opposed to the
submission Of u prohibitory amendment
to the people, to be voted upon at
special eleotionp''
The answers were about equally dis
vided among those who held decided
views either way. There were those
whose answer was, II am wholly undee,
clded upon the question. = 4, u Sd
Others refused to place themselves on
record in any manner. It's more than
probable that q complete poll Of both
houses would show that the majority
were in faycl Of the maintenance of the
present high license law.
r. j. Davenport. of Hennepin, said
that it would be a great mistake on the
part of the temperance people to have
the prohibitory amendment submitted.
1t would be lost by an overwhelming
vote, he said. IF was a member of
the Columbia. the St. Paul liquor as.
sociation,'' said be, II would work to
get this amendment submitted to the
people, for I believe that in the end the
liquor men would be benefited. Ger
tainly the temperance people would suf-
fer from such course. -
There were others who favored the
submission of the question to the peo-
pie although not Prohibitionists by any
means.
Representative Maland, who intro
duced the local option bill in the house
said he believed local option was the
surest way to pave the way to prohibit
ton in the ::end, There were several
members of the house who expressed
themselves in favor of a strongly drawn
local option bill. Representative Hag-
ney wanted the liquor men in the big
cities to pay what they do now and
would have the license reduced in the
smaller counties. Others in the house
preferred that the matter should not be
brought up at all, believing that the
submission to the people would result
in a step backward in the end.
Senator Swenson, Of Hennepin, be-
lieved that the Senate would not vote
0 have the amendment submitted.
The house committee on temperance
legislation held a brief meeting after
adjournment to-day and decided to hold
an open session at 2 p. NJ, next Tues
day, at which time those who desire can
be present to state their views on tenn
perance matters
AS thorough canvass Of both houses
as could be made, shows that there is a
clear majority in favor OF a further trial
Of the present high license law In the
house about 40 out of 20 to whom the
question was put, were outspoken in
their declarations that the high license
law was good enough, and their replies
would suggest that they will vote
against the submission of the prohibit
tory amendment to the people. Of the
20 interviewed, only 10pronounced pro-
hibitionists were found; there were
10 who strongly favored local OPP