The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-12-19
REVOKED LICENSES
Town Board Still Continues it's
Warfare.
THEIR LICENSES WERE REVOKED
After Farce Taial Before the Board,
Licenses are Taken From These:
Ed. Williams, VIM. Burns
and John Reiten.
and John Reiten.


Washburn last Friday and Satur-
day, and as a result on the latter
day their licenses to keep saloons
and sell LIQUOR was revoked. The
position of the board DIS to the ac-
tion taken was. Bryan and Hovind
for revoking, and Chairman Nc
Beath against. The saloon keepers
were Ed. Williams, who runs the
Arcade, and VIM. Burns and John
Reiten. The charge upon which
Messrs. Williams and Burns were
summoned before the Board was
that of keeping open on Sunday,
while Mr.. Riten was charged with
harboring gambling upon his pre-
misses, and selling liquor TO a man
whose name was on the black list.
AS to the latter charge against Mr..
Reiten, it fell down, and from the
evidence be,ore the board no fair
minded man would attempt to say
that be had knowingly violated the
law in that respect. The evidence
also showed that the gambling was
done in a partsof the same building
occupied by Mr. Riten, but in rooms
which he did not rent or lease, and
and that the man responsible for
such gambling was Chas. Flynn,
and that Mr. Rieten had no
control over that part of the build
ing or of the purposes for which it
was used. In the Williams and
Burns case it was contended that
they sold lie or on Sunday, in viola
/ ton of the orders of the town board
and board of health, and the evil
dence in the Burns case was to the
effect that as large a number as
seven were congregated at one time.
When the cases were brought up
for trial, Attorney Alvord appeared
to prosecute and Attorney Mcleod
to defend. The attitude of Bryan
and Hovind indicated at the outset
that there was no use of the saloon
men putting up any defence, as the
two members of the board appeared
set on trouble, and were determined
that they would add one more
chapter to the list of their sensa-
tiOnal administration. There are in
every community three classes of
citizens, so far as their views relat-
ing to the sale of liquor are con-
concerned, and they are: the wide
open class; the class who believe
that saloons should be allowed to
run in a quiet and orderly way; and
the class who approve OF any ac-
| ton, no matter how severe,
that is directed against the saloons.
This latter class are sometimes
spoken OF as 'Fcranks, and it seems
to be to this section that the two
members Of the side board belong.
The vast majority of the people of
Washburn, we believe, want to see
the saloons have every consistent
liberty, and it is the desire that the
officials keep quiet and order about
the places where liquor is sold. A
large percentage, and we are of the
opinion that they are in the MAORI
ty, do not favor closing the saloons
absolutely on Sunday, but rather
favor a quiet, orderly back door
policy. Messrs. Bryan and Hovind
seem to be strictly against any
privileges being granted to, or en-
joyed by the saloons. They
have made several previous at
tempts at a closed policy, but have
failed to carry out any Of their
moves, and a short time ago alb
soLutely backed down and allowed
/
the saloons to run about as they
pleased for a time. Then came the
new order, which the saloon keepers
evidently considered somewhat Of a
josh" but when they came to they
found that they had lost their
licenses. 1T is the enforcement of
the laws we are told land every
good citizen should uphold the
Board because they are enforcing
The statutes" That sounds very
well, indeed, but it is no compliment
to Messrs Bryan and Hovind that
their sense OF duty is limited to
making things hot the year around