Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1902-04-04
..eaklng OF the Ilquor

~ The proceedings uhueI NAts STATUTE
are highly penal anu treated expressly
as criminal proceedings. The constr
,ation expressly PROMPTS the issue vi
warrants OF search anu seizure OF per
sons OF property except Oh sworn showing
when al mas alM ays been neld, must DC
., facts on PERSONAL knowledge such
as would establish the legal probability
Oh the cause OIL complaint. Al the legis-
lature could eVaae this BY proVldlng Tor
seizure and searches without le-
gal warrant, the provision would
De useless" have heard IL
argued by our prohibition friends,
lrOm which one would conclude
.maI all IL Was necessary 10 90 10 secure u
search warrant 10 ma spurious liquors
WAS 10 so TO justice OIL tie peace ana
ASH Tor AZ, ana he Moula issue has pIecept
commanding the cons table Oh the county
20 take al ana 30 ABOUT the county anu
see what ne cou4u hnu; visit every Douy
premises, stick MS nose III every Douy >
business ana when ne mao touno out WHAT
he wanted bring IN the BODY Oh every
person, oead OF alive III whose possession
nuuor was found. and ali the liquors
louna in the search. But this, my Irlehu'
is not the law. 10 secure search war
IA which you must set up upon your per
sonal KnowIeuge facts ana clrcumslahe-
es, establishing probable cause 10 satls-
~ the constitutional provisions. But
Aow can person, Lot knowing Oh such
1acls swear TO chem. lie cannoLunless
ne would swear falsely. he result a.
mat ne cannot secure "A warrant IoI
search and seizure. III he does know OF
t4e TACT vi ms own personal knoWIeOSe
Oh the person ana where TIE liquors are
luere is no necessity Tor me warrant
me result is that search warrant
moves ITSELF 10 be inefficient anu value
,ass as q means OF GeteCunS the pres
ence of the liquors and the person IN Po-
session tnereoI. ms, therefore ieaos
10 no gooQ result III appreheholns pei
sons gullty OIL prOhlpiIory nquor law
lou lnen .ook ABOUT Tor persons VINO
nave purchased liquor anu those VINO ee'
tnem Tor social purposes Viii not swear
10 the sale. Why! because you lhahe'
by a pronibitory law, the person VINO
buys criminal with the person VINO
sens and you cannot MAKE man GRIM
nate himself; 50 TINS netnou Ialls. Inc!
Inen say. "nIre ueleC lives; IL you 90 lh4s
YOU make yourself morally ana IeSdh!
an accompiIce 10 the crime. Our courts
nave repeatedly condemned ana dlscIee
tied this underhanded and Unfair way OF
causing crime To be committed ana IN the
same aSI securing evidence 10 cOHN4St
one oil IL, ana our court mas salu lAd'
testimony OIL sucn persons sAouia De con
slQereu with great caution IL not tdheL
with discredit. Persons OIL known pro-
nlpIIlon pTocIIVitles cannot secure lhs
liquor, ana II they dId when they were
puL on the stand TO give evidence 10 con
Wet the person they mao uupeu, OF course
they could not tel beer from ginger aie
or whisky from lemon pop, ana IL they
claimed tney couId tell the difference d
Jury 10 make them consistent would re
tuse 10 believe chem. 30 actual expert
ence SHOWS that alter you have tred az
AAoMn metnous ana IaIleu III al, aho
aIler you have created a disturbance
and made big noise you give II up as a
LAO Job anu Irom tnat time out We have
a vice open town. But IL most cases ouI
pionlpitlon friends 90 not Try at ali. 30
what is the result you nave the hanas
OF your omcers tieo. you have al the evils
of the intemperance without any law to
restrain IL, TO tax II, 10 license 1t, 10 pro-
tect, control and regulate ii; III snort
YOU have Tree Whiskey or TO carry the
parallel still further, Tree smallpox, anG
Iree everything that whIskey breeds.
NOW is TINS so or is ii Ease! 4 beg you
TO be my witnesses. W as II true from 1900
10 1870! lou sray haired veterans,
you prohibition friends hoary with age
and service, rise, answer anG explain
GU say, u es, it is true, only too true.
Was il true from May LIST 10 November
LIST 1892, in Gratiot county? You OIL my
witnesses who lived in Alma during TINS
period rise and explain. Yes, 4 am
ashamed of il, but 4 must tell the truth,
IL is SO you answer. This PERIOD IL
our recent history is SO fresh II cannot De
forgotten. At least three OF our sal
cons in Alma during this period never
even respected the law sulnclently 10 TAKE
Gown their beer signs; beer was rolled III
To their place OF business from the Iront
street. There were at least seven places
Nnere spurious anu intoxicating liquors
were sold as a beverage. AND al one
particular time they moved tnelr pro-
duct up to our race track ana supplied aiI
applicants with whatever they wanted IL
the shape OF liquor from the board tent
81. the premises. During the whole OF
tthls six plonths there was-lust one ar
REST made. AZ j sremember correctly and
tAls, complaint Was mace By a woman
.<t,hee deceaseds AGAINST a person ioi
s1eepIng her hLrt<~na dfunh seven eaJ -
B : a ssssA, AndltNenty-four house IN the
N az, AZ ! - fsfil ,.,....,..,
But the edvocates OF this third de-
parture say. This time We viii en-
force il" They do not say how, they Go
not tell why they are more able 10 do so
than before, but they say: Take oui
words for it; we have something better
for you than was ever unbottled in Alma.
IL came out of Moan ark, the seal has
never been broken or the cork disturbed.
we cannot tell YOU what il is now. but
please take our word for It, Well
my friends, 1 propose again TO hold them
to their record. propose TO Judge them
in this regard from their actions in the
past rather than TO take their present
promises for their conduct in the future
To be recent, what was their record
from May LIST TO November LIST. 1902, the
period of pure local option in Gratlot
county? Some of the very men who
spent restless days and sleepless nights
to bring this period of debauchery and
disgrace upon this county folded their