River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-12-04
Temperance.
CONDUCTED BY THE. w. C. I. U.
"For God and Home and Native Land
Banker Kean's Views.

Banker 5. A. Kean of Chicago has
given expression to the following con-
victiOns in an interview with a news
paper correspondent:
| am now and always have been of
the opinion that the influence of pro-
hibition is good. | do not see how it
could be otherwise. Business based
upon the liquor traffic, especially as
now conducted, in my Judgment, is
immoral and dangerous. and will in
the end honey comb the moral founda-
tions of business in this country if
permitted to continue. Business not
founded upon moral principles must
fall of its own weight in due course.
There are even many drinking people
who prefer a prohibition State be-
cause of the better Surroundings, and
hence the safety of their families;
but those who are determined to
carry on the traffic. and the allies of
the saloon, would leave prohibition
State, or keep away from it, but this
number is comparatively small and
their place would be more than filled
with more desirable citizens. If the
whisky traffic was out of them, the
same property, money and energy
would all be used in business, and a
larger number Of men would be en-
ployed, which would increase rather
than decrease values. Men who waste
their money in drink, do not as a rule,
have money to deposit i'll the bank.
1t is true that the brewer and saloon
keeper woald have money, but these
same men engaged in other business
would also have money to deposit in
the bank. | give the following Incl
dent by way of illustration: Some
time ago a certain manufacturer in
the East paid his men 81 900 on Satur-
day night, but before parting with
the money marked it in order to as
certain where it would bring up.
On the following Tuesday it was
found that 5000 out of the 81 900 had
found its way into the banks through
the saloon keepers and the brewers.
If these men had spent that money in
buying clothing and provisions for
their families, it would have gone in
to the banks all the same, through
ta ha nj
provision interest, as well as the
farmer, would have been advanced to
that extent less the very small
amount of grain Which might have
been "rotted" for the purpose of fur
nishing drink for these men. l con-
slider prohibition help to business in
proportion as the law has been en-
forced. Atlanta, Ga, is a good illus
tration of this when they enjoyed pro-
hibition there.
In answer to your question, IF you
were purchasing bonded securities,
would the fact that the State in
which these municipal bonds were is
sued was under prohibition policy in
relation to liquor have tendency to
depreciate the value of such municip-
al paper!" l answer, No. Other
things being equal we should consider
the fact of prohibition as advantage
rather than a disadvantage. You say
an Omaha paper has used the name of
our firm in connection with our re-
fusal to take certain securities in Ne
braska on account of prospective pro-
hibition. This is the first intimation
| have had of any such use of our
name, and it is certainly as far from
the truth as possible. We purchased
some bonds of your city while ago,
and there was some delay in our TAX
ing them up on account of some legal
difficulties. AS soon as your city OFF,
Gals were able to correct these points,
we took up the bonds.
| certainly hope the prohibition
amendment will pass, not only for the
interest of your State, both morally
and financially, but that of the coun-
try. The strongest enemy that this
country has to contend with to-day is
the liquor traffic.