Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1902-04-04

Well my friend. the liquor traffic is really
worse than the smallpox. Its an evil
and disease. Smallpox ID but a dis
ease. 1 am prepared TO answer your
question and tell you what the opponents
Of local option Will do with ii. What ~
| the issue on this question TO be passed up
on by our voters April eth next? Plain
~ stated it is this: Win you supercede
the general liquor law known as act 3l3
OF acts of 1887 with local option or To-
cal prohibition in Gratiot county provid-
ed Tor by act 207 OF the session laws of
1883? Let us review the provisions OF
these laws briefly. You are too familiar
with them to require any extended re-
marks. Under the general liquor law OF
1857, every person engaged in the sale
OF spirituous liquor is required TO give a
bond. This bond protects the husband,
wife, parents, child, guardian and emf
ployer against the baneful influences OF
this traffic and affords an action for civil
damage TO persons injured by reason of
a violation OF its provision; il protects the
minor, the drunken man and the person
in the habit OF getting drunk from sales
10 them; 1t requires the person engaged
in the business TO locate his place in
nhASh ~ OlOotS W SN4At Go MN
TO piacard his premises with a red sign
SO you will know where the evil is;
II makes him keep his windows so that
persons can be seen within his place.
il requires him TO keep closed on Sun
cay, election day holidays and such
times III the evening as the council or
tow nship board may require for the rea-
sonaDle operation OF his business; 1t re-
quires him to pay hve hundred dollars a
year tor the privilege of conducting the
business. il makes IL unlawful tor him
20 permit students in attendance at any
PUBIC or private institution OF learning
III this state, or any minor TO play caros,
dice. billiards or any game OF chance in
any part OF any building III mnIcn such
liquors are SOLO or 10 sell any o. such
liquors TO any such persons, IN snort IL
throws around the business every pro-
lection which fifty years OF actual eX-
perlence mas Iouno necessary Tor the pro-
lection OF our people against the evli in
nuences OF the business and it makes
them respond in damages tor disoDedi-
ence OF It's provisions. What does the
prohibition law OF 1883 DO tor the protec-
tlon and regulation OF this tratilc? ABB
solutely nothing. IN case local option
wins at the polls April lth, 1902, you sup
srceGe the liquor Jaw OF 1884 and leave US
without one law upon the statute books
10 regulate. control suppress and eradi-
cate the evils OF the liquor traffic.
They ask again Will you license or legal
ne smallpox? What remedy 90 you pro-
pose TOR the evil? / Will tell you what
we Will 90 with 1T. We Will vote down
local crrkion on April 9TH, 1902, and then
We Will tax II; We Will regulate 1t; We Will
10. - x.r.a IN q
we VIII protect the public against it by
the persons inocuIated with
It TO give BOND 10 the public TO pay all
damages which may De suffered by any
one on account OF it; we will keep ii
housed and secreted from possible infec-
ton on holidays, election days, Sundays,
everyday from o clock p. IA. to clock
a. III. the following morning; We will
protect the wife and children and drunk
en- men and people in the habit OF getting
drunk from its banefuI influence, and
AFFORD redress tor disobedience To our
IN short We VIII throw around
Il ali the protection afforded by the
general liquor law OF 1887, the outgrowth
)f the best thought, the best effort, the
wlsest legislation and the best liquor law
that fifty years OF actual experience
Alichigan could devise. 1 now turn TO my
prohibition friends and ask, what are you
song 10 90 with il? Ihey answer We
SlA vote Tor Local option Aprii 9TH, 1902,
ma suspend III Grallot county, the gen
eraI liquor law OF 1881 and substitute in
place OF 1t the prohibitory liquor law
known as local option. Very well. We
Alow your remedy; we tried ii from 1855
20 1870, and we mad sweet six months OF
{ in 1892. Now We understand you. We
low hear a repetition OF all the stock
arguments OF our forefathers; they bring
hem out in turn from the graveyard OF
lead arguments and buried legal enact
nents and exhibit them anew 10 diff
erent generation as though they had
never been heard Of before and as
hough We had never heard of the day of
when in fact they are re-
the buried arguments and en-
OF an early day laid away TO
est without protest from its staunch-
st supporters OF the time, crucihed by
ublic sentiment of that day; condemned,
anything could be condemned Indirect
y, by our Supreme Court; and swept
side by our legislature with ruthless
land in 1875. il stalks around again in
he hands of a new following and is
eeking TO fasten its grasp upon another
as though 1t were something
ew.
Let us analyze Il again. Let Is look ~.