Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1905-11-09


ber Taken Up and Indorscd by
churches and Prominent People
All Over the Country-Want Intcr- !
nnl Revenue Abolislicd-The POssi-
bic Outcome.
Especial Correspondence.l
Chicago. Oct. 20.-Will President
Roosevelt break another precedent this
December and deal as Squarely with
the temperance question as he already
has done with trusts and civil service
and railroad rebates: That is what
thousands, perhaps millions by this
time, are wondering as Il result of
remarkable agitation precipitated with
i'll the past thirty days by the action Of
the National Temperance congress
which met ut Portland, Ore, last
month. That congress called upon
President. Roosevelt to recognize the
liquor question in his coming message
! to congress and recommend the aboll-
i ton of the internal revenue system so
far as it has to do with the liquor
/ traffic.
Proof that the internal revenue is the
| great protective bulwark of the liquor
curse today, that its fundamental rec
Ognition of the trade us the most inn
portant single contributor to the ma
tion's income, has fostered it's develop
ment exactly as the protective tariff
has fostered many OF our trusts to
their present menacing proportions,
and that the immediate abolition of the
internal revenue would strip the evil
of its cloak of responsibility and leave
it at the. mercy of an indignant and
long outraged people--these In brief
form the outline of the indictment Of
the system. The notion that Uncle
Sam 'needs" the money revenue from
the big curse comes in for scorching
ridicule, and the startling assertion is
made by those urging the president to
action that inasmuch as the liquor
curse cost the Americans $2,OO0,OO0,O 900
every year directly and indirectly the
insignificant little ''silver collection"
for revenue" of $1S5, 100000 by Uncle
Sans deputies as the traftic's price for
national sanction and support is the
most astounding. gold brick" swindle
ever perpetrated in our national his.
tory.
Some Letters to R0Osevelt.
Whatever the merits of this discus
sion, it is certain that an astonishing
interest has already been awakened in
the appeal of the Portland congress,
and letters straight to the president are
being sent daily by many prominent
business men and others throughout
the country.
AS sample of these personal let
ters, Hon. Felix T. McWhirter, presi-
, dent Of the Peoples Deposit bank Of
. Indianapolis, writes the president as
follows:
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt. President Unit
ed States. Washington. D. c.:
Dear Sir-It is my privilege to request
you to give consideration to the appeal
! of the National Temperance congress rs
u expressed in resolutions. copy of which
doubtless has been forwarded to you.
The right of petition and the uniform
courtesy Of government officials in con-
sidering every reasonable appeal especial
ly mark the greatness of country
compared with other governments.
/, The resolutions referred to seem to me
to be very reasonable, conservative and
OF the greatest Importance in securing
most favorable action
l have the honor to be u citizen of the
" great republic and one of your most loya
" subjects. FELIX r. M'WHIRTER.
c Oct -. 1906.
Here is another characteristic letter
from Il prominent real estate dealer In
Missouri
Oct. IA, 1906.
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, President Y. 8
A.. Washington, ID. c.:
Honorcd Sir-l appreciate very much
g the vigor with which you have taken hold
of many matters of reform which have
come before you in your high Office anC
/ desire to commend you especially for thu
,f great and successful efforts by you pu
forth to terminate the late war.
Nov. permit me to call your attention
to Il greater calamity right here in oul
own country. which if taken hold of by
you with the same igor would ccrtainl,
be greatly checked if not entirely abated
The Grand Old Man of England sale
that the liquor traffic was a greater cri
TO the human race than war. pestenc
and famine combined. You brought al
end TO war YOU are .ery greatly rniti
eating the evils Of the yellow fever pcsti
lence. ana now appeal to you TO pu
forth equally vigorous efforts to stay tn
devastating food flowing from the II
censed liquor traffic Here is u matte
that is costing our people ONE HUN
DRIED THOUSAND LIVES ana Owe
TWO BILLION DOLLARS annually. an
yet in the past our presidential message
have failed to mention it. For God $ sake
man. break loose flom the shackles 4
this matter. YOU have in others. an
brni, to bear upon this great uucstio
that mighty intellect and couragepls per
sona,ity with which jehovah has endow
ed you. and millions Will rise up to bles
your deed for the relief OF a suffering hu
manity.
Hoping and praying that you will Civ
heed to this request. ! am sincerel
tours II. p. FARIS.
The Petitions En- Route.
While these personal appeals ar