The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1902-10-17
SALOON NENF|GHTA|CKEY
Deal With Fusionists to Defeat
Republican Candidate.
WOULD LET DOWN ALL THE BARS
Liquo Dealers Not Satisfied With the
Present Liberia! Laws-Their Real
Ambition Is to Dominate Political
Affairs of the State.

SNIh6ik'Sb " OSIIlihoLC
Affairs of the State.
Lincoln, Oct. 13.-There is substan-
tial evidence at hand to show that
the fusionists have entered into deal
with the liquor interests to accom-
plish the defeat of ]. H. Mickey, the
Republican candidate for governor.
Mr.. Mickey is charged with the ter
rible offense of being a temperance
man and the saloon element regards
this as sufficient cause to marshal
their forces against him.
The people of Nebraska placed on
the statute books law that repre-
sents compromise with the liquor
interests. 1t is not as drastic a meas
ure as most people prefer, and, if any
thing, it grants liberties to the liquor
dealers largely in excess of the ex-
pressed wishes of large majority of
the electors of Nebraska. Mr.. Mickey
voted for that law, hence he cannot
be charged with entertaining intsfn-
perate hostility to the liquor traffic.
But this does not seem to satisfy
the saloon element. They want all
the bars that protect the home and So
ciety thrown down for them. They
are not satisfied with trafficking in
the vile liquids that steal away the
brains and debauch the conscience of
their fellow-man, but they want to
traffic in politics and dominate the po-
litical affairs of the state
The manhood of Nebraska will not
consent to any such sovereignty.
There are thousands of temperance
men who have opposed prohibition be-
cause they doubted of it's efficacy who
will not hazard the risk in the event the
saloon undertakes organized and con-
certed warfare against the principle
of temperance. A saIoonkeeper has
the same right that any other voter
has to vote for whom he pleases, but
when an organization composed of sa-
loonkeepers representing every polit-
ical faith unites to defeat the candi-
date OF party, individuality is extin-
guished and the aspect changes.
When this is done the question is at
once raised of the rights of the busi-
ness represented and the subject
should be dealt with accordingly.
The liquor interests are playing
with dynamite when they undertake
the subversion of public sentiment.
No line of business that obtains it's
light to exist through the good offices
of popular suffrance is exempt from
condign discipline when thrust beyond
the bounds of propriety. Those best
Informed on the sentiment of the peo-
pie of Nebraska are we'll aware that
the enactment of prohibitive legisla-
ton has been stayed only by hercu-
lean efforts on the part of the opposi-
ton. 1t would require but little an
tagonism on the part of the saloon
element to kindle an opposition and
hostility that would not abate or be
appeased until every saloon in the
state was closed. In sentiment. Ne
braska Is a temperance state. with
potent tendency toward prohibition,
and nothing is better calculated to
focus this opposition on the saloon
Lhsn for the saloon element to under
take by concerted action to control
The political machinery of the state.
Mr.. Mickey enjovs the distinction of
being a fair-minded man and the at
tempt of the LIQUOR dealers to defeat
him merely because he abstains from
he use of fntoyicants, will, if pursued
% the end, bring down upon them a
storm from whose withering blasts
Nebraska will afford no shelter /