The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-01-10
FROM JNo. NJ. ooRBIN, ATTY. AT LAW,
EATON RAprns EATON co MICH


enforced it better than any other criminal
law Is enforced in the county, and better
thaa the license law Is enforced In any coun-
ty In the state, In my opinion. We have
less pauperism here, scarcely any drunken
ness. Our city has been, and Is, as prosper
Gus as any city OF its size In the state. The
papers here have not been in favor of local
option, and will publish anything that an
outsider will say against it, but we have not
an editor In the county who dares print over
his own signature or editorially say that To-
cal option is not success In Eaton county
NOW"
FROM II. W. ALLEN, PREs'T BELLEVUE
BANK.
1.-THE law is not an unqualified success in
stopping the sale of liquor. 1t issa success
as far as closing the open saloon. If l was
called upon to vote again upon the question
believe should vote for it, with the hopes
in the near future there will be law to
regulate and control druggists; and further
more that the enforcement of the law places
criminal stamp upon the traffic and Is an
educational feature to the rising generation"
FROM DR.w. PARMENTER, vERMoNTvILLE,
EATON COUNTY.
'The law in Eaton county was an utter
failure for the first two years of its adoption
by the county, and an unqualified success
ever since, now about IS months.
Causes: When first adopted we also
elected prosecuting attorney that was
notorious guzzler and saloon patron; also
sheriff of easy virtue, who was controlled
by the saloon influence. OF course nothing
was done to enforce the law. Yet theocon-
dition was no worse than under license. In
this village 1t was better for the first year,
from the fact that our village president was
staunch prohibitionist and our little dog
gerry closed its doors without protest and
remained closed during his term of office.
A beer drinker succeeded him and the
saloon opened again promptly.
On Nov. 6, 1894, we elected sheriff,
Frank Green NOW of Charlotte) and pros
ecuting attorney, Horace Maynard, of the
same city, who set about enforcing the law.
Mr.. Green is the Roosevelt of our county.
THEY HAVE SUCCEEDED! 1t is safe to say
no stranger can buy or get openly drink
of liquor in the county-except at the DRUG
STORES, or as member of some club which
imports its liquors direct to the drinker from
some other county,"
FROM t. j. ToAz, CONSTABLE, GRAND
LEDGE.
"Local option as it is today in Eaton Co.
is ALL RIGHT. The local option law is the
same as any other law, failure if not en-
forced.
Grand Ledge under high license had
seven saloons and three houses of prostitu-
ton where liquor was sold day and night,
Sundays not excepted. Today under local
option there is NOT ONE HOUSE OF PRosTI-
TUITION in our city. Today there is not one
place in our city where liquor can be bought
by the drink.
The drug stores are the only places that
handle liquor and they with very few excep-
lions sell only according to law.
1t is rare thing to see a man under the
influence of liquor on our streets. We can
not expect that local option will have any
effect on the old buns and whiskey soaks,
for they pe1jltre themselves to get it at the
drug store-and the sooner they drink them
selves out of existence the better for all
concerned.
The practice of treating and drinking
in social way-is the aDorst evil the young
men have to contend against, so many young
men lack the moral courage to say NO.
My experience land it has been bitter
one) is that no young man takes his first
drink alone. High license means the open
saloon, the billiard hall and card tables in
Stdebodrd, fancy bar,
pleasant, dfable bartender, pleasant place
to spend evening; young men step in to see
game of billiards; social drink, and so on
to the end. With local option in force all
these temptations are removed. There is
no open saloon, no pleasant bartender to
visit with. The saloon keepers no longer
dress in broadcloth and diamonds and their
wives in silks and satins, while their vic.
tins and their families dress in rags. Go to
the home of dr,tnkdrd and then you will
find strong and convincing argument for
local option. Talk to these men. They
will tell you Tor at least they do here) that
they are in favor of local option because 1t
will remove the temptations and it will be
easier for them to stop drinking. They
will tell you that 30 per cent. of the drink
ing is done in a social way.
With money and labor scarce as 1t is here
at present, we have had less extreme power
ty reported this winter than for the last ten |
years. This one fact alone is enough to |
convince me that LOCAL OPTION is sue
cess. They buy bread in place Of whiskey. |
1 talk from experience. used liquor both |
and to excess for fifteen years, but |
for the last nine years have not touched it |
In any form, not even tasted the DEVILS |
kindling wood-cider. Local option Is all |