Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1902-04-04
N. Nothing can be done more than to

TEN. NOtnlng can De uont hioic 'h"" w
fine and imprisOn the transgressor Oh lhe
law. No protection 10 the family Ill any
respect. If this condition l. true ana IL
can be- sustained 10y numerous gOoa
citizens of Gratiot county tlat IL was tiie
condition when we had local opllon
before. then the system of high license Is
far preferable. | make the broad state
ment that local option or slate prom
bitiOn has never been effective III
any county or state III lils
country. Several times have beeI
i'm the state OF kansas ana
know from personal observation tlai
there are liquors sold for Intoxicating
purposes all over the state. We KilO"
that il is the decree that existing laws
there must be enforced. pom the other
hand, we know that II Is deplOraoie
fact that they are not enforced, ana tlat
the high license system OF Michigan Is
far more conducive To good government
and good morals than the state Oh Nan
sas, 80 far as the liquor question - con-
cerned In addition 10 TINS, tnere Is al,
other phase of the question when shoulu
he takaI i'm consideration in voting, and
that Is, that the proceedings before the
hoard of SUPERVISORS are entirely lrregu-
:
II was hard 10 make the people believe IL
until the court 10y lis decree so saiu.
And if local option should succeed 80 far
as the ballot is concerned, il would last
but a short time. The matter would be
taken To the court and the defect would
practically have 10 be- admitted. Some
! nf the facts are these: The statute re-
ouires that notices OF the names OF the
petitioners should be posted III three
bubble places in each township, and thai
an affidavit Of this fact shall be filed with
the hoard of supervisors before they have
the RIGHT 10 submit the question of local
option 10 the people. This proof was mol
made i'm several townships, which iac'
shows that there was not a sufficient
number Of the qualified electors VINO hal
legally petltioned 10 warrant the board
Of Supervisors 10 submit the question Il
a vote Of the people. The names OF IN,
patitioneTs were never compared VIII
the poll list as required 10y law, ah'
manv other defects which would detea
the act. II this il true. then, WITH al
the rest. the county OF Gratlot III lnaugur
latinr local option would deprive N-el
of the protection which the law al pres
ent gives it: deprive itself OF the reyenu
which goes 10 diminish the tax, ana SUI
ipct itself 10 the costs and expense ot III
iCation. as il did before, with nltlnat
defeat staring IL in the lace. Win al
this i'm view. il seems To me that IL Is no
the duty of any citizen 10 vote IN ia(o
of. but To vote against local option.
II l. easy 10 say let Us lave temper
r ance and protect our boys, ana IL I'M
were To he the result all would hold u
both hands; but the question 10 be col
sidered is. do We do this 10y local optio
= or do we place them before more temp
ersr History of the past and the hlst0i
of other counties tells lis that II does m
3 give Us temperance; but on the col
trarv. makes dives and unwhOleS0me II
;. sorts for the Young, and a mockery al
farce Of the whole matter. Enforce u
- laws which we now have and you WI
, have accomplished a greater go0d Una
is possible by the adoption OF local opllo
50 saw i'm an article Of the Oratlot Cou
= " News of March DIST, written by D.
:. Nooten, wherein he says, ANY schO
:. how who can read the newspapers kn0N
~ that in Kansas where the public deere
m that existing laws must be enforced, |
;! saloons are driven out OF business
> When | read this, | wondered what y
- Wooten had been reading for the pa
y. " wear or SO. If this statement Is III
~ will Mr.. WootOn explain the mission
ooe Carrie Nation. of national IAN
nr when she went forth with her III
q hatchet and mashed the salaons OF Lee
:. enworth. Wichita and other cities OF ha
~ sas. If the law is obeyed III Kansas a
prohibition there good thing, why u
e awful howl from Carrie: No. the la
'ie are that the conditions in Kansas are
* worse under state prohibition than
~ Michigan under high license. The c.
M ditions there are just what they w
,e and would again be in Gratiot un.
rs rs local option. And in Kansas the !
ne has been on the statute books for yea
NJ and there is no case in court III Il
NE state now pending as To the constitute
an ality of the law. | should dislike 10 III
eu il said that Michigan. or any part OF
'ns had liquor law so obnoxious that
IN whole people refuse to regard II a;
I've anv importance. when il should be tai
ne u. up by a woman seeking notoriety VII
IL ridiculous rampings were heralded
y, the four winds of the whole nation
GU the shame and disgrace OF our state.
on W. A. LEE