The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-03-01
An Open Letter to Robt J.Halle

Dear Sir:-Your favor Of the 10th,
published in yesterdays HERALD,
received. You no doubt desire an
answer through the press rather than
through the mails. Your letter is a
reminder that the question which ag-
itates; Oskaloosa is by no means a
local one; that every move here is
being watched by a large circle of
interested spectators, because the
sensitive nerve of a national organ
izati on feels every well directed
blow at the traffic in rum.
Your desire for an explanation of
my authority for the quotations re-
ferred 10 seems reasonable. Your
reasoning, however, is faulty in one
regard, for you assume that / am de-
claring on my 'word of honor as a
minister of Christ as a fact, that
which / merely quote, and so indicate
by the use of quotation marks, as the
statement of another. / agree with
you that it is an infamous statement,
Justice to the speaker of the Ohio
Liquor League: infamous if true, be-
cause of the horrible purpose it sug-
gests. l was not aware that the
statement had cash value until you
so stated, and therefore feel justi.
fed in withholding my source of in
formation on this account until you
shall have deposited a check for
$4,000 with the Mahaska County
Board of Supervisors, to be used for
the support of paupers in the poor
house which is one of the public bur-
dens made much heavier by the
traffic you represent. When | have
been notified of such deposit as an
evidence of good faith on your part,
will then, not only furnish you my
authority for the quotation, but will
assist you in every possible way in
getting at the truth of a matter which
you value SO high,
1t may interestyou further to know
that / have on equally good authority
been informed that the United States
Brewers Association emily issued
the following statement: winning
over the people of this country of all
classes, to the habitual consumption
of fermented malt drinks, is the
fundamental condition on which
The permanent prosperity of the
brewing industr, and the distributing
trade rests. 1t is more important
and unore desirable that more peo-
Pile should drink beer than tina they
should drink more beer etc. ETC."
This is another infamous statement
and if it has cash value to charity
I will gladly assist in the effort TO
verify it, That which is j. famous in
both these statements is horribly
true. The success of your business
does depend on creating appetite in
the boys; winning people to habitual
use of liquor is fundamental to your
success. Whether you are sincere
in your request for proof of the state
ment, or merely feel so sure that you
have the matter so fixed that absolute
proof is impossible and therefore you
are willing TO wager $500 90 that it
cannot be proven, I do not know. In
dealing with your traffic we find some
things hard 10 prove. There are
drug store saloons which are filling
orders for cherry phosphate, mineral
waters and other harmless drinks,
with Intoxicating liquors, and we are
to prove it,.
There is no doubt of the fact of
sale, the proof of sale is made appall-
ingly difficult. If you sincerely want
the facts, your position will enable
us to get them, if you merely wish to
test our ability TO solve problem of
proof, which you render as difficult
as possible by all your resources of
organized power, experience and
money, then the result cannot be
foreseen. Let me close by assuring
you that those whom l represent
have no ill will for the men in your
business. We hate the traffic, not
the men. Our blows are struck at
the traffic and only strike men when
they identity themselves with it.
God took Lot, and tried to take 9th
ers out of Sodom before he destroyed
it with fire. Our desire is to save
every man and destroy the traffic
which can only thrive on human
woes and destruction.
Respectfully,