The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-09-15

The action OF the late grand jury Oh
Lake county in it's effort to enforce the
p~rohibitory liquor laws of the state, SO
far as this community il concerned,
ought to meet the approval. OF every pa
tr,otic citizen Of Lake county. When
we say patriotic citizens we do not mean
so-called prohibitionists, but citizens
who are possessed OF sufficient
patriotism TO respect the statutory,
aye the constitutional, laws OF the state.
The liquor question, SO. called, has been
a fruitful source OF law-breaking and
litigation ever since the admission oil
South Dakota into the union OF states
carrying in her constitution the prohiul-
ton of the sale and manufacture OF ln-
t~oxicating liquors as q beverage. When
the people of the state voted to place the
pruhibitory clause liz their state constl-
tuition with a view OF enforcing 1T, they
took upon themselves a mighty big con-
tract, one which they have SO far failed
to fulfill, and an undertaking that many
older states in the union have made a
failure of. OF course the temperance
lecturers told us it would be $50 nice" to
begin statehood without having our
breaths smelling OF whisky, and many
OF those silver tongued lecturers were
paid high prices for giving us that sort OF,
well, nonsense. A majority OF our clti-
gems took their advice and, conscien-
tiously, no doubt, registered their votes
IN behalf of constitutional prohibition,
The result Is, along side by side
with our constitutional prohibition,
the state is dotted over with the nastiest
lot OF doggeries. dives, blind pigs OF
+; whatever these drinking places may be
called, that any state was ever dlsgraced
with. The court calendars are csowded
with whisky cases, and a conviction Is .
legal curiosity. A certain elemens o
people, very excellent people, no doubt
get together in mass temperance meet
iLgs every now and then and sing spark
ling and bright IS the liquid light" tel
horrible stories about the drnnkardi
wife, request everybody who wants t.
. 20 to heaven to stand up, and everybody
who wants to go to the devil TO keel
. their seats, pronounce The b~enedictioi
= and 20 home. All of which, except thu
latter, is the sheerest nonsense. w
2 have The laws in our constitution and II
our statute books and the late CRANE
q jury OF Lake county, obedieIt to Tn
instructions OF Judge Jones, have abide'
. by these laws and by indictment brough
every s~aloonkeeper in Lake colnty De
e fore the court with a conscientious dc
termination to have them punished 10
9 their crimes. States Attorney Sope
stands ready and will prosecute 10 tn
bitter end, and il is the sincere hope q
The DAILY LEADER that convictions VII
result In every case, not TO crafty crank
or crankism, but to compel obedience t
d state law o on our statute COOKS
h These are clear cases OF q reckless viola
Y tion of the prohibitory laws Of the stat
brought before the court IN due TORI
and will be presented to the trial jury !
II due form, and if there Is not enong
patriotism, or public sentiment favol
able TO the law as 1t Is popularity caliet
In the hearts Of the people In this con
- munlty to secure convictions IN thes
cases and thereby enforce the preseI
u y liquor laws IN the leading college Tow
OF the state, let rs then abandon ou
mass temperance meetings and labor 4
y = q more rational law to govern the gret
IL evil. Saloonkeepers do not care 4
r. temperance mass meetings, water sons
y and temperance lectures. they are NJ
q built that way. But the salooEkeep'
ID is mighty wary Of public sentiment, az
nc thoroughly posted in this respect, and
se rational law that 10 backed up by publ
sr sentiment will keep the ~saloonkeep
7 70 within due bounds, and he cannot
ia controlled in any ether way.
en
#nf 81 - 60 MM& - - 1-~A "a NN4