Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1891-04-30

L
sure as water runs. There is every evi-
dence that the water supply is iDex-
1 haustable.
| THE RUM OCTOPUS.
| The time has arrived for the respect
able element, business men and princi-
pal property owners of Sturgis to decide
whether wicked oligarchy shall rule q
prosperous law-sbiding people or that
people shall dictate the terms OF this
oligarchy. This conditio, OF affairs has
been brought about in the attempt to
have the city authorities close dance
hall that has been running in Sturgis,
and the fight against the saloons was
precipitated when the whisky men with
two exceptions, viz: Ammon and
Goeden-ruahed to the defense OF this
iniquitious resort that was even too low
for some prostitutes to make their homes
in. To convince any one who may be
skeptical as to the statement that the
whisky ring backed the dance hall, it is
only necessary to refer to the action of
this element at the polls on the 21st
instant.
The proceedings upon that occasion
were such as to bring strong public GEN.
sure upon the whisky combine, mourning
the bitter emnity of prominent citizens
who were disposed to tolerate the evil SO
long as the men in the business did not
attempt to override every interest in the
community. The saloon men are them
selves to blame for the war now on, and
should the grand jury conclude to in
vestigate their affairs they must remem-
Der that they forced the issue.
*x*
If careful studSof the situation in
Sturgis--and the Hills, too--does not
convince any fair minded man that the
rum power seeks to control every polit-
ical party and almost every legitimate
enterprise that has any merit, it is be-
cause he is a partisan beyond redemp-
tion. 1t endeavors to make the press
and the church subservient to it's inter-
ests, and if unsuccessful, these powerful
disseninators, which SOW the seeds of
morality and righteousness, are boy
Dotted. If the voice of the press or
church is raised against this evil, that
paper or church is made the target of
the whisky element.
These statements are warranted by the
fact that few men in sympathy with
the whisky people have withdrawn their
support from the clergymen of this city
who have had the courage and manhood
to speak out against the dance house,
and the ADvERTlsER has lost two sub
scribers-viz: Wyttenbach and Rose
brough-because il took decisive stand
in favor of Law, morality and justice.
Think of ii. These men attempting to
subsidize the press-or starve it into
subjection by Withdrawing their patron
age, which amounts in the aggregate to
$4 per annuml Hardly enough TO pay
the running expenses of the paper
one day. The ApyERrIsER is a
legitimate public enterprise and has the
endorsement of all abiding citizens,
and has no fear of a grand jury. II has
never violated the laws of it's country,
but the same moral right is delegated to
it to defiantly break any or all laws gov
erning the people OF this commonwealth
that is given to the men selling whisky
in South Dakota today. Think of that
element endeayoring to bull-doze, intim-
idate or force the church or press into
silence, by Withdrawing patronage be-
cause they publicly demanded the mayor
to close house of prostitution.
| This resort closed it's doors yesterday
because the owners OF the building saw
that public sentiment against the place
| was so strong that possibly an injunction
might be placed upon the pemises, keep
ing the house closed for year; and the
/ IADvRRT1sER believes that the saloons
which fought to maintain this icentioui
dive win close their doors in short time
for other reasons.
Il @**
/ Mayor John Monheim has been drawn
as one Of che grand jurymen, and thil
] question naturally arises that If his honol
has allowed the brand.of perjury TO b
stamped upon his brow in the matter o
enforcing the prohibition law as chie
magistrate Of this municipality, wha
may be expected Of bis duties as . jury,
man? Time will tell.
+a*
The Sionx City Journal has novel
been an ardent advocate OF prohibi
! tion. Id fact II takes the ground thal
II prohibition ii Il practical sailnre ii lowe