The Press., 1889-07-25
(E0r The Press.l MINNESOTA LETTER.

What is truth, as related to the enforce ment of prohibitory law in states having such? Does anybody knowp Somebody ought to know, and be able to tell, and have his testimony believed.
 In Iowa there is state temperance alli- ance which, perhaps, knows as much about the workings of the prohibitory law in the state as any man., or body of men. In the fore part of this year it held it's an- nuai meeting and among reports receivd and acted upon was one from it's secretary which was full of interesting facts and re- factions. Before we call attention to any of these we will take 8 look at the report of the committee on resolutions, since this sums up the situation admirably and truth fully. From this report the number of counties reporting the law success. and beneficial, is eighty-three. Seventy three counties report decrease in crime and criminal proceedings varying from twenty to sixty per cent. During the past two years the number of convicts in the state prisons has decreased twenty five per cent. The report says: s'In over one-hah of the counties the jails have stood empty during the past year. Peace, happiness abound in hundreds of homes where, in the days of the saloon, poverty, want and crime prevailed"
 The total number of persons, including special liquor tax is 3,527, as against ten thousand four years ago. A prominent railroad official of one of the trunk lines crossing Iowa says that there is not one
 barrel of whisky now carried where there was a carload, and not one keg of beer where there was 8 train-load four years
 ago. Outside of Dubuque county there is not 8 brewery or distillery running in the state.
 From the report of the secretary we learn that compulsory scientific temperance instruction is given in 13, ,946 of the public
 schools, leaving but ], ,517 for it to be intro
 duced in. In the face of these facts it will not do to call prohibition failure in Iowa. It is
 great success, and the state enjoys pros- perity under it. The announcement just now comes to hand that that noble con- | monwealth is now free of all debt, and
 this, notwithstanding the building of asy- lums and other necessary state buildings and improvements.
 ! Kansas has one advantage over Iowa in
 the enforcement of her temperance laws.
 She enforces them herself. It is not left
 with the local authorities, but made the duty of the state's attorney. He goes in
 person, or by deputy, to the lawless com munity and inquiries into the violation of the law, and attends to its enforcement. This relieves the local community of 8
 great burden, and tends to it's peace, while it makes the law stronger. Connecticut
 might make note of this. In case she
 swings into line with the prohibition states, which the hope is that she may, it will be
 to her advantage to adopt some such meth cd of law enforcement.
 I Local option, such as we enjoy in this city, where I am now, is good thing, but 4 it would be better applied to the county. In that event these small, rival communi- ties would be more on an equality as to
 the matter of trade, which is no small item
 to consider in this battle with the saloon.
 Best of all is the application of local option
 to the entire state. Then every local com. munity would be put on an equality be- fore the law. Prohibition is local option extended. l.e,....... .-.. s. yL-. As a son of Connecticut, hope to see
 liner take an advanced position in this mat ; ter. have called this Minnesota letter !, but, as you have discovered by this time , nothing iustiies the title but the fact tha it is written from the state.
 : O p CHAMprIN