Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1900-06-14
BOOI-LEGGlNG.
Era of Unlawful Methods Predicted
For the Slope Counties.

The Bismarck Tribune says: The
system Of dealing with the liquor
problem that has been cOuntenanced
and approved by the people of the
Missouri slope cities during the past
few years is at an end. The open
saloon is now thing of the past, and
the genuine "blind pig" system with
which the eastern part OF the state
has been cursed will undoubtedly sup
plant the license system.
The people of the western part of
the state have never looked with favor
upon the prohibition clause in the
state constitution nor the prohibition
ukaSe on the statute books. Law not
backed by public sentiment cannot be
enforced successfully. The attempt
to enforce an obnoxious lawas had
been proven in this section on several
ccasions-resulted in endless expense
and barren results. The sentiment of
the people and Of the leading taXpay-
ers of Bismarck finally crystalized in
opposition to further litigation and
court expenses in useless attempts to
enforce the letter of the law, and in
favor Of dealing with the liquor ques-
tion in practical manner.
Without going into details, but to
deal directly with results, let us see
what has happened. 1t is admitted
that during the last six years Bis
marck has been as orderly and as free
from crimes incident to the liquor
traffic as any other city in the state.
Prohibition cOnfiscated about 5000, 600
of taxable property in this city and
shut off about $4,000 yearly revenue
from saloon licenses. This was a
severe blow to a city whose debt-the
Iinherita of early days when Bis
marck was the end Of the road and
the place of trial of all the criminals
incident to the frOntier-waS beyond
the constitutional limit.
AS a result of the system in practice
in Bismarck the entire general run
ming expenses Of the city have been
met bv revenues collected from resorts
where it is well known liquors have
been dispensed through ANY IL
cense to violate the law given by any
ot1icial-but in response to well defined
public sentiment. The money of the
taXpayer has been applied to the city S
old debts and as a result the city is in
better condition financially than at
anv time for fifteen years. Could the
present system Of obtaining revenue
continue it would be possible in a few
months to refund the Indebtedness OF
the city in low interest bearing bonds
and use a handsome surplus in grad
ing the streets and making long
| needed repairs of the sidewalks.
But therold system is at an end.
Our liquor dealers are in the majority
of cases, old residents and owners OF
the buildings wherein they have been
doing business. They are not, blind
piggerS as these outlaws are known in
the eastern part Of the state. They
are men of families, men of financial
standing and do not desire to take any
further chances in injunctiOnal suits
! or fine and imprisonment sentences
They do not desire to embarass the
officials nor the citizens of the com,
munity in which they have lived fol
many wears and they have, therefore
Welded to the eXigencies of the occa
|, sion and closed their doors. The
revenues to the city from this source
will cease and the bootlegging era be