Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-01-20
NO ROOM FOR DOUBT,
The Speakers At the Mass Meeting
In Favor of the Enforcement
of the Law.
The Audience Enthusiastic and Seem
to Agree With Them On All
Points.
Mr.. Standish Promises Enforcement.
and Merely Wants the Aid
of the People.
Pigs Must Go,

NV
There are several conclusions which are
readily to be drawn from the mass meet
ing which was held in the Atheneum last
evening. One of them is that if Attorney
General Standish had any doubt as to the
general feeling which exists as to the
closing of the blind pigs, he must now be
thoroughly satisfied that the people want
to see the law, as it stands upon the
statutes, enforced. And another is that if
anyone who attended had any doubt as to
the earnestness OF Mr.. %Standish, it was
completely and conclusively ~dispelled by
the remarks made by that gentleman.
The attendance was large and the Athe-
neum crowded to the extent of standing
room only. L. II. Wilson called the assem-
bly, to order and Joseph Hare was chosen
to preside over the gathering. Congress-
man NJ. N. johnson. Colonel W.. c. Plum
mer, Judge Bennett, Senator Stevens and
Attorney General Standish occupied seats
on the stage. and after a few introductory
remarks by the chairman,
CONGRESSMAN JOHNSON
vas called upon to make the first address.
Mr.. Johnson's arising was the signal for
10 nd and prolonged applause, evidence of
the kindly feeling which Bismarckers
have for the eloquent representative.
Mr.. Johnson's remarks We're of a gem
eral nature, his argument for the enforce
ment of the prohibition law being that the
| secret of the success of our nation has
lain, always, in its ready acquiescence to
the will OF a maturity of the people when
ever expressed in a statute. The differ
ence between civilization and savagery
lies altogether in this obedience. He had
been n OF the persons who had COM
posed the constitutional convention which
| had assembled at the organization of the
state. In the constitution and the laws Of
the state he felt great pride. Any law
which. as has the prohibition law, been
voted upon and chosen BY majority Of
the people, must also be accepted by the
minority, and all must lend aid toward its
enforcement. Those who had been Op-
posed to the measure had combated it with
their ballots on election day. Their oppo.
sition had been overcome, however, and
they must bow to the will of the majority.
A Willingness to do this indjcatedSa perfect
civilization; a tendency to oppose the law,
after its passage, displayed Il tendency to-
ward civil war, toward revolution and to-
ward disruption. Mr.. johnson closed by
placing himself emphatica!ly on record as
~ favor OF a thorough enforcement OF the
law. and as he closed he was again heartily
appIanded. This had hardly died away
when there was another %thunderOus burst.
anu the calling by the chairman OF
COL. w. {. rLUMMER
| Was sufficient Colonel Plum
mer was at his best. and his address was
a source of uninterrupted pleasure and
amusement. "However much men NAV
differ as to the advisability or
'there can be no difference of opinion as
to the propuety OF its enforcement.'' The
assembly wa there to betOken by its
presence whether the laws of the state and
all the laws should be enforced, or whether
The people of North Dakota were to be
remarked as a lawless community. The
ton. sis the law to be enforced or set at
Defiance and he, for one was in favor Of
its enforcement.
The colonel said he could not see any
thing SO terribly bad in the existence OF the
animal ordinarily termed a bli Il pig. No
oii.'u piS e'ei "tIciilpleu W seek i man
out, and no man ever found q blind pig
unless he hunted for it. (Laughter.) AS
far as he was concerned. and lie assumed
that he would be supported by nine.
ten1As of the legislators and politicians
in the room, he believed the
condition OF things better under the blind
pix regime than it was under the rule Of
open saloons. Because when there were
open saloons he who wanted the support
OF the saloons and the element which hung
around them had to buy it. And frequently
the support Of the saloons was sold to sew.
eral different and opposing persons and
each person received u promise OF support.
The only thing bad about the pigs was
that their existence meant the defiance of
the law.
A majority, he said, no matter how
small, was q majority and its wishes
should be respected. The prohibition law
was the vii of the majority and should be
obeyed. There might be defects in the law,
but the legislature is able 10 remedy them.
1t was not a question of the eff.
cacy of the law, but a plain
and simple matter of obedience.
Radical changes are made in our govern
mental pOlicy-and without revolution or
internal strife-all because of the acquies-
cence Of the minority to the will Of the
majority: And it must be the same with
our prOhibitOry statute. And il the law Is
really distasteful in its effect, the best way
way to bring about a reSubmission is to
enforce it thoroughly.
The colonel announced his intention to
cOnclule his address at this juncture, but
| the audience would not hear of it. $50
on" go on" sounded from all parts of the
hall, and he continued.
He did not intend to discuss the merits
of the temperance question, but one thing
he did wish to say was that he did not be.
lieve in the attempted reformation of the
old topers to the utter disregard of the
young men who were just beginning TO
drink, The ladies. he said, had II habit
Of taking in some old boozer and
clothing linn in fine linen. babying him up,
and finally teasing him into signing tho
pledge, only to have him of on a spree
again the first time a bottle of whisky
found itself anywhere in the vicinity of the
extremity Of his %prObOscis. Instead Of
this, the efforts of the refOrmers should he
directed toward the prevention of the talk
ing Of the first glass. Encourage u sort
OF individual prohibition. lie said he was
working on a little prohibitory law of his
own. just ut present. 1t was Il fine thing,
made him feel good, he enjoyed himself,
but the Lord only knew how It would last.
lie closed by comparing The powerless
condition of those .WhO attempted to Op-
pose the law to the prisoner who was
n..- IN l-nA