The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1891-10-03

This paper is entered as second-class matter
at the POstOfhce at Washburn. North Dakota.
OFFICIAL PAPER OF MCLEAN co,
:: =::::::: -: !:
The Situation Expls
The following is a special telegram sent
from Bismarck to the st. Paul Globe. It
is rich and racy, and portraYs the situation
at the capital city of North Dakota just
about as it is:
Bismarck, N. d.. Sept. 1s.-Much has
been written and ssaid about the prohibi-
tory law and how it works in North Dako-
ia, but the true condition of affairs has
never been made public. There is gen.
eral impression outside this state that the
law is working quite satisfactorily to those
who were instrumental in placing it on the
statutes, but such is not the fact, by any
means, and the fathers of the supposedly
ironolad law are painfully aware of it.
True, they are vigilant and painstaking,
and IN some few portions of the state sue
oeed in effectuallv crushing the traffic of in
to1icants, but there are many towns where
booze is dispensed with almost as much
freedom as of yore. s. In counties where the
the anti-prohibitionists have majority
the opposing forces are wholly at a loss
for adequate means to repel the onslaught
of the enemy. 1t is an impossibility to
get jury that will sinch the violators of
the law. The state enforcement league re-
Gently formed has succeeded in doing some
good work for the canse, but members
thereof having submitted to all sorts of
abuse and indignities very rough
treatment-have lost muck of the enthu
siastic interest which characterized its
commencement. The enforcement league
wanes, the members are discouraged and
.st1eother sidesis coErespondingly happy
at the outlook. The league succeeded in
landing one Bismarck blind-pigger in the
tolls, s. J. Swanson, who had hearing in
the Justice court and was bound over to
the district court in bonds of $1,000. The
leaguers engineered this little coup d'etat
adroltly. A confederate went in the saloon
and purchased bottle of whisky, which
was sampled by a Methodist minister and
other confederates, who we're anxiously
awaiting the result outside. The minister
evidently knew the qualities Of good whis
Ky, for he took snort and pronounced it
regular old tangle-foot, and the very worst
at that. His action in sampling liquor
and his evident knowledge of the ingre-
dents used in its manufacture, has given
rise to no little unfavorable comment
among the members of his flock in church.
He will probably not do it again. The
local league then overstepped the bounds
of its own jurisdiction and turned its at
tention to Mandan, the neighboring. city
across the river. The trip came danger
ously near proving a. fatal one. A Bis
march saloon-keeper, learned of their in
tentions and quietly informed his Mandan
brethren in crime to be on the lookout for
the invaders. A telegram found its way
over the wires in plenty of time for the
Mandanites to receive the Bismarck inva-
dsrs. When they arrived on the scene of
action every resort was closed. Not drop
of booze could they get for love or money,
'thongh strange to relate, it was noticeable
SHAT several men were promenading the
Stfeets in q state of great hilarity,
caiSsd by the exhilarating zone of the
Missouri slope, the prohibs presumed.
Well, they prowled around the little town
nearly whole day in fruitless search for
beer, whisky or anything that would make
the head swim, and q prominent citizen of
Aandan told the writer next:day that it was
proyidential for them that they got back
to Bismark early in the evening, as all ar
rangements had been nearly perfected for
altar and feather picnic later in the evening,
with the Bismarck prohibs as the princi-
pals in the bee. am told that liquor is
sold with more abandon in Mandan than in
Bismarck. A gentleman from there tells
me that the saloonkeepers pay q monty
license of $50 each to the city treasurer,
not because they have to do it. but probably
to promote feeling of good fellowship all
around and help hquidats the city's in
debtedness. This is, indeed, the most glar-
ing violation of the law that has yet come
TO light. Here in Bismarck the piggers
pay nothing for the privilege of running
the risk Of getting asinehed.n During the
infancy Of prohibition the CITY exacted .
fine Of $40 per month from each. Some
paid, others didn't; but it was all right
anyway, whether the fine was collecsed or
not, for thamunicipal government wasjust
.as deep. in the.mire for levying spectre
tax on an unlawful commerce as the sa-
sloonkaepers were for oarrying on the busi-
ness. However, little money in the city
Treasury Just now would be thankfully re-
4.