Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-07-08
A Sioux Falls Scheme

Sioux Falls has plenty of bright
schemers. They are good thinkers. The
latest idea that has struck them was
propounded to the city council there
last week, according to the following
from the Sioux Falls Press:
The council was just ready to adj
journ when Attorney w. H. Lyon,
United States commissioner, stepped
forward and begged the indulgence of
the aldermen for a few moments. This
was granted. Mr.. Lyon then began
with the following words, which took
the breath of all away: II want to go
INTO the saloon business. and for my
partner ! want the city government
"'Great guns! hollered Alderman
hurry.
az am in earnest said Mr.. Lyon.
1T is no laughing matter, and listen
to what | have to say.
"'It Ia reported to me-of course the
mayor doesn't know anything of the
facts that there are thirty or forty
joints or saloons in Sioux Falls. Now
what | propose is this: Let the city go
into the saloon business. | will fur
nish the funds to try the experiment.
1t won't cost the city a cent
by this time the coupcilmen were all
listening attentive!y. Continuing Mr..
Lyon said:
In a nutshell, tho city is to go into
the saloon business, thus form a mo-
nopolv. All the thirty or forty saloons
must he closed, and in their place we
will run a 'city' saloon which could
be regulated by the most stringent
laws. That they would be obeyed goes
without question. Minors would not
be allowed in the saloon. 1t would be
closed at a certain hour. BY this
means l believe the city could clear
S25,O00 or $4,000 a year. Pure liquor
would be sold at reasonable rates.
"sNow, as to myself, the city would
have to accept all the proceeds above
running the saloon. All the profits
would be part of the public purse. l
will furnish the money to run the en-
terprise myself for an experiment. 1t
would be a success, | am positively
confident. The employees or bartenders
could be reliable and satisfactory per-
sons to the council. The more you
consider the question | am sure the
better You will like it. l would not
like to have you act on the matter to-
night but Just consider it, reflect upon
it, and | believe it will secure your
hearty approval.
"'Now, | am not a prohibitionist,
nor am ] a high license advocate. Not
a word can be said in favor of the
American saloon and very little in
favor Of prohibition. The plan l have
proposed does away with the objections
to the open or lawless saloon. 1t takes
away the 'ferocious greed Of the saloon
keeper which is the disturbing influence
of the traffic
"'llow many Of these patent saloons
would you run?' said Alderman Blau.
Welt.
's.As many as the business demanded
| want the city to go into the business
so that it would b. just as improper
for the private individual to go into
the saloon business as it would be TO,
the postmaster to go into the business
of selling postage stamps on his own
account. Nor will the saloon under
system lave any more cause to sell
more than the man needs than the post,
master does stamps
"'How does the law affect this plan
of yours inquired Alderman Black
man.
The prohibitory law would moi
affect it, in my opinion. The ccnsti.
tuition prohibits all persons from Ell.
gaging in the traffic, failing to men
ton the word corporation. In the
statute it is broader in its effect anc
uses the words ''person or corporation
The question is, would the supreme
court decide that the word corporation
in the statute means a public or NUM-
cipal corporation. Ii is a mootec
question and very doubtful if the cour,
would SO constitute it,"