The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-11-29
Local Option.

EDITOR TIMES: By your generosity,
after reading local option articles in last
issue, would be heard.
am temperance man and am opposed
first last and all the time to local option
law in relation to the saloon evil or any 9TH
er evil. call the saloon evil, because
never knew it to be anything else. No
christian man in all our broad land can be
found to give it any other name, and even
Ward says, mo use to deny it and prohibi-
ton is right" Then in the name of high
heaven, why not prohibit it?
The concentrated wisdom of republican
legislature enacted the local option law, and
when followed by democratic legislature
their sanction was given thereto.
Gentlemen of the two great parties in the
state of Michigan this is your law, not ours.
A minority party, utterly opposed to this
manner of dealing with evil, are yet patriotic
enough ia submit making the best of it till
such time as we can outlaw it in the whole
state, yes, and nation. Every well posted
temperance man has, fortunately, passed
the local option stage, they repudate ma:s
jority right in morals.
The good christian people of Shiawassee
county, wishing to dissolve partnership with
the saloon keepers in this county, now pro-
pose to use this local option law which you
gentlemen, not we, are responsible for.
The whiskey traffic of this state wanted this
law and consented to its enactment, and
neither they nor their friends nor the friends
of the law have a right to object to our
using said law in outlawing the saloon.
Yes, Ward, the Lenawee county people
found too much red tape in this law, and so
do we, but the law was so made, but not by
the friends of temperance
1t may be true that 'the men who signed
the call for vote on the subject are not
as rule the heaviest tax payers" but they
have legal, also a God given right to pro-
tect their homes, and they also have the
courage of their convictions.
When all the red tape is used and elec-
tion day comes, trust every voter, re-
gardless OF church or party affi!iaton, who
thinks more of home than of the saloon,
will vote to protect the home, and outlaw
the saloon. Yes, l would vote for that pur-
pose, IL only for ward, a district or a
county. IT'S the traffic, not the saloon
keeper, oppose. The saloon keeper is no
more to blame than those who would sell
him the man-made-statutory right, not in ,
herent, and when the traffic is outlawed and
the day comes for choosing officials choose
only such as will respect their oaths of Of
fee, men pledged to enforce the law.
If the law can be enforced and saloons
closed on Sunday in New York City where
so many foreigners reside, then it's coward
ly to say we cannot close them here seven
days In a week. Is he who says ''can't en-
force it," any more patriotic, and does he
deserve any better of his fellows than the
copperhead who said, "you can't coerce the
SOUTH" during the civil war?
True, 'This is a government OF the peo-
pie, and the government ia engaged Ito Its
shame though it be) in the liquor traffic.
So every man Is dealer in the sight of
God," but we, the dear good people of Shia-
wassee are permitted to change this; vote 1t
out and quit the business, so far as Shia-
wassee county Is concerned.
Under the local option law, Eaton county
optioned to outlaw the traffic. How we'll 1t
Is done, scores of saloon keepers who haye
violated the law have testified by paying
fines, aggregating some IS, 900, and It Is the
viOlators of the law that are in hot water.
Voter fear not the loss of the license fees
now being handed over to the county treas
urer by the saloon keeper. He boasts of
paying 1t, but he does not. He simply coll
lects 1t from his patrons and hands it over,
never giving his patrons any value In
return, but always curse, aud much of 1t
he receives from patrons so poor that the
money should have gone for necessaries to
an lily fed and clothed family.
On the other hand, Hon. Carroll ID.
Wright, the we'll known statistlclah says the
facts show that "for every dollar the people
receive from the saloon they pay out twenty
one," an investment too poor for any busi-
ness man, and too immoral for any chris
tian. k Il. BREWER.
Mancelona Herald: Deputy Internal Rev.