The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-01-31
HAS DIMINISHED.

HAS DIMINISHED.
AN AVALANCHE OF UNANswERABLK
TESTIMONY.
Letters from Governors Humphrey ana
LarfAbee and Chief Justice Horton-sta-
tfstlcs from lowa-some of the Recent
Misrepresentation of the Press.
from the voie6.t
AtSthe recent Omaha Convention for
bringing about corporation an,eng the
foes OF the saloon in Iowa, Kansas. Ne
bfaska, South Dakota and North Dakota,
some important letters were read from
men of the highest tosition upon the
practical effects Of Prohibition. Governor
Larrabee bffowa wrote:
prohibltlon has done greet things for
Iowa, and l cannot attemptte enumerate
them in this brief letter, Bit The gentle.
man in attendance at tho conyention
fro4i thib State will convince you that
the law has been q great success hero. II
is true that the law is not enforced in sew.
eral counties, but it has been constantly
gaining ground. and. at the present rste Il
will not be long untilths last saloon shall
90 closed Slice the defeat of Prohibit
ton in Pennsylvania and Connecticut the
Soes OF the law have made an unusual
effort to break down Prohibition In iowa.
But l feel sure that cur people will not
permit any backward step to be taken. I
hope yeu will have a successful IN :
lion.
Governor Humphrey of Kansas wrote;
1t is not needed to disguise The fact
that thore are soma cities and towns in
Kansas whore the law aud the Constitu-
ton are violated. Every penal statute
ever enacted has been violated. But YOU
can boldly tell your co-workers that rfo-
hloltlon is neither q farce nor O failure.
that the open saloon is cutlawed. and1he
vocation of the barkeeper gomez: that
since prohibition was enacted the State
mas lncre ased in wealth and population
and prosperity, and that crims has dimin-
lshed. o can join with one of Kan
sas pufest and ablost citizens, the late
Governor Martin, the shadow of whose
death still hangs over and about us, who
loved Kansas and whose memory is and
VIII for all time to come be held il devout
reverence, who said in his last message to
the Legislature: II affirm with earnest
ness and emphasis that Kansas is TODAY
the most temperate, orderly, sober COM
munlty of people iii the civilized world"
Kansas does not desire to be oflen-
sively importunate in her efforts to con-
vert other States to her own policy on
this great question, but she would be
derelict in her duty in failing to present
as you arc prepared to do, by facts and
hgures, the benefits resulting from con-
stitutional prohibition.
Kansas has taken this marvellous stride
onward Notwithstanding the fact that she
Is surrounded by license States and ad-
verse influences. Without referring to tho
benefits that would accrue to our neioh-
boring States from the adoption of this
policy for themselves, such course would
practically free Kansas from violations OF
the law For on our borders We have had
always the most trouble and opposition
to the enforcement of the law.
With unity OF purpose, actical. and pol.
icy The work will be Cosy, and ha othe,
contiguous Sto!S will over have the OBJ.
s.nclos We hare met and surrounded,
don. 4. r. Hutchins. COMMISSIONS
Of Llbor of tho State of Iowa, made tc
the convention remarks ~ttlie-eense-
quences of Iowa prohibition, includinq The
following statements:
lake, for instance, from the records OF
the courts. the numbers of those convict.
ed Of criminal offenses in Iowa in the or.
uer OF the years:
In 1884, neutrality-suspicious. ...e. .:.,,:. III .5N
In 1855, criminal convictions .. 3N
In 1885, criminal convictions "a:
In 1857, criminal 80
III 1aSS, criminal convictions. s3S
In 1883, as shown by the Governors
records, Iowa sent to other States IL:
acquisitions for criminals from Justice
that had fled from Iowa. Two years late;
1t had run up to 167 in o single year
costing Sl7, 1913. II 1855 it fell to ll2, and
III 1888 bit sixty-eight calls we're made
apon the Governors Of other States fol
the return of Iowa fugitives, and at a COS,
of less than 81, 200.
In 1885 tifty.tWo criminals were give1
ever to the authorities Of other States
&pon the extradition papers of Their Gov
ernors, and in 1888 but thirty-six crimi-
mails were requested from the State oil
Iowa. showing that even the hiding places
OF criminals on prohibition SOL are brok.
en- up.
Noteworthy evidence OF the benefcent
workings of prohibition is afforded in the
fact that whilo from year to year the
population of Iowa is largely increased,
the population of her State P~enitentiaries
I'D SAoSuaAiy diminishing.
In 1885, Inmates of the Penitentiaries.. .., Ga
In 1886, Inmates of the Penitentiaries -. .65s
In 1887, Inmates of the Penitentiaries ..,,. 81:
In 1855, Inmates OF the Penitentiaries. 49,. So;
The number Of commitments to penal
institutions and their cost to the State
each year tell a story also that is worth
needing:
Commit Cost to
ments. State
IL looo. 81 S4lS,OOt
In 23S Al ,0O(
~ 1871. 2S2,0Ot
1t is said also that prohibition has
ruined Iowa financially. On June 80,
1887, there were thirty-seven savings
banks in Iowa with total assets of Sl2,-
DOC, Oo0. In two years of prohibition
these have increased to fifty in number,
and the assets have grown to ST., lS5, 600.
During the same period the State
banks have increased from sixty-fve to
eighty-one and their assets from SlO,-
276,O00 to $l3, ITO, 900. In other words,
during the last two years, while prohibit
ton has been running" Iowa financially,
we have had an increase of twenty-nine
banks with q total Increase of assets of