Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-03-11
THE PROHIBITION LAW MUST
BE ENFORCED.

\ While the Tribune believes that I'M
der a properly regulated high license
system, the liquor traffic could be bet
Ter managed and regulated, and while
there is "a large element of people,
both in the city and in the state who
hold the same belief. yet the people
of the capital city believe that the pro-
hibition law, being on the statute
and will commend the action of he
authorities in Kidding the city OF dives
and blind pigs. Years ago when the
license system was in effect in Bis
marck, many of the persons engaged
in the liquor business were prominent
enterprising citizens, large property
owners. and men who conducted their
business with the least possible nuis-
ance ito the community. When these
men were driven from business, n
there sprang UP in their places a
class of persons who are irresponsible,
having no interest in the community
except for the few dollars they could
make by an illegal traffic, and keeping
resorts which are a veritable nuisance
and disgrace, it was and is the Sentl-
'ment of the city that these places
be driven from business. These men
who have had warning that their IL
1ss:L 49, a = ,x~,,1l ~~% Io %1IrrofH1 and
have continued to sell liquor, have
been defying the officers and the law.
and now they find themselves under
criminal charge, with the chances that
they will suffer accordingly. 1t is a
lesson to any who may be tempted to
follow in their pathways, that event.
ually misfortune will come upon them
in this shape, and that for the little
profit they make out of an illicit bust
ness, they are taking chances of jail,
if not the ~penitentiary.
It is a fact that many people con-
slider crimes which are made crimes by
sumptuary legislation, crimes of less
heinous nature than those which are
crimes in themselves. And there is,
because of this. a tendency to deal less
severely with the men who commits
such a crime. Certainly there has
been no tendency to deal harshly with
the violators of the law who have de-
sisted from their illicit business. But
when men. having received due warn
ing. persist and insist in defying the
law and the officers of the law, the
consequences must be met. They
cannot plead anything except their
W greed and defiance of the law.
When old time liquor men, who were
drive from the business by constitu-
tional prohibition-men who are. still
among the largest property owners
and heaviest taxpayers in the city
men who have erected fine brick
blocks. even after being driven out of
the liquor business-when such men
cannot continue in the liquor business
public sentiment will not tolerate the
traffic being carried on by blind pig
gers, and boot leggers-men without
responsibility, contributing not a
single cent to the public welfare, alb
sclutely constituencies, mercenary anG
avaricious, enemies of society and good
order. despoilers of character, man
hood and homes.
Public sentiment may be strong
enough in this state some day to re,
submit the question of substituting
high license system for absolute pro
hibition and that day may be hastenet
by a rigid enforcement of the present
laW-not otherwise.