Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-31
WHISKY prua stores and MuIot saloons

Editor Times Republican: Mr.. Thay-
er's letter in your issue of the 2Sd
about the whisky drug store" and the
"mulct saloon,'' while true in general,
is wonderfully startling to the candid
citizen. He defines a whisky drug store.
"a store where the sale of liquor was the
object of going into business" He
could have added that the whisky drug
store is performing the mission intend
ed by the Legislature that gave 1t le-
gaiized existence. Again he says '1The
whisky drug stores thrive most, both
in number and money making, in the
strongest prohibition towns in the
state.' While we can find no percepti-
BILE decrease in the drug stores when
the mulct saloon is put in a town or
city, we wish to inform your readers
that prohibition in reality never exist
ed where the whisky drug store" was
permitted. To call such territory pro-
hibition is misleading, and slur on
genuine prohibition, such as the prohi-
bition party stands for. Again he says,
1.-THE prohibitionists in a large majori-
ty of such towns make little or no eff
fort to close such places" It is right
that the people should know that the
officials of the aforesaid towns are re-
publicans or democrats, and the prohi-
bitionists, as private citizens, wherever
they have tried the enforcement, have
failed because of the collision between
the officials and the violators of law. He
says: IF they (prohibitionfsts) have a
spasm of virtue they send off and get
Abrams and commence wholesale
prosecutions, taking in the innocent
oc or,1{lt IA y;s.l-
that the prohibition party has no afiili-
alton with Mr.. Abrams, as he Is re-
publican, or with his work, as he repre-
sents the Anti-SaIoon League, which
is not a prohibition organization. We
believe, however, that prohibitionists
commend his work and wish him sue
cess. Prohibitionists never have spasms
of virtue, or undertake to perform the
official duties of the powers that be.
When the time comes that the respect
able and law abiding citizens of the
state believe the truths that Mr.. Thay-
er has told us, about the whisky drug
stores" and the "mulct saloon, about
the vast increase in drunkenness, open
violations of law, such as minors fire.
quenting saloons, screens at the win
dows, side and back doors, curtains
drawn, chairs and tables, sales to
drunken men, being open at night, on
Sunday and holidays, the state will re-
turn to prohibition with the whisky
drug store" eliminated.
1t is entirely wrong for the public
press, or any man writing for it, to
charge even the existence of the drug
store or the saloon to the prohibition
party. Neither are they in any manner
responsible for the violation of law by
the dispensers of intoxicants, or the
non enforcement by the republican and
democratic officials The antisaloon
league Is undertaking what the officials
should do. 1t is hampered by professed
temperance men. 1t Is cursed by the
rum element. Its detectives are as es-
sential to good government as the gov
eminent or state detectives, and are as
legitimate, but still the very commune
ty that fears to rid itself of the most
dangerous class of anarchists the world
has ever known condemns the man who