Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-02-18
r. B. CLARK Druggist, Corner Court and Second

-. D. ALAkh, ~
mark 1 call attention to the fact that
during the last fourteen months which
is such time as have examined the
records we find that fines have been
paid to the amounts of from forty to
one hundred and thirty dollars, cover
ing from two to eight persons. 1t is
my painful duty to declare that more
than two houses have been operating,
yes, and more than eight. Besides there
Is sad discrepancy between the
amounts turned over to the city and
the we'll known amounts that are as
sessed. But whether there is any dis
crepancy or not, the fact remains that
the city acknowledges the presence of
these places and makes them a source
of revenue.
A Strong Protest.
want to stop long enough
here to enter my strongest pro-
test against this policy. l don't care
how long it has been in vogue. do
not care whether other cities resort to
| the same deplorable method or not, it
in Ottumwa that desires that state Of
things continued, simply want to say
that he is defective in moral precep-
ton. If there is any miserable indi-
vidual that prefers to have his taxes
paid by traficking in the virtue of our
girls and the manhood of our boys,
then / want to say. do not want to
neighbor with that person. We might
as we'll understand this subject First
/ it Is totally unlawful. No provision Is
made in the laws of the state allowing
this thing, and no city has the author
ity to set aside the laws Of the state
by municipal ordinance any more
than you or have the right to move
an amendment to the ten Command
ments. So repeat it. The fact that
our city collects miserable pittance
from these creatures Of easy virtue is
evidence that it is in shameful COM
plicity with this social vice.
Unlawful Sale Of Liquors.
A fourth matter of evidence will
introduce is the fact that they allow
these places to sell liquors unlawfully,
purely for the purpose of stimulating
mems passions and adding to the
measure of the iniquity. At first this
may seem like a mere incident in the
entire count, but when fully measured
will be found to be an immense factor
In the whole affair. First it is an ag-
gravation to the whole saloon situation
which Is deplorable enough at best To
show what mean may say that I
was waited upon as president Of the
Anti-Saloon League by the attorneys
of the liquor men who came to argue
the general situation with me and to
! excuse their clients on the ground
that these houses Of i'll fame were al
lowed to sell without license and at
any and all hours without the least
molestation. while the men who pay
the license are compelled to suffer if
they do not line up with the strict re-
quirements Of law. While we all insist
that one wrong offense does not con
done another still we see how this per.
mission to sell liquor greatly aggra-
Yates the drink problem and goads the
saloon men to lawless course even
when they are disposed to keep their
business within the confines of the
law. What is more. the sale of H.
quors is said to be the chief source Of
revenue of many of these places of
evil resort. One of the proprietors of
a house thus favored told a gentleman
| in this city that her proceeds were
1856 a day and $45 of that was for
| liquor. For be 1t known that the bev-
erages here dispensed are not sold be-
low cost price Take away the liquor
and you take away much Of the rev.
enue and SO reduce the evil But we
all know that there is close affilia-
ton between the drink passion and
the base animal passions and it Is a
very natural thing that these two per-
versions of human nature should go
hand in hand. So the sale of liquors
in these houses is one of the surest
ways to stimulate the very evil that
we herein deplore, and no city that is
in earnest in its effort to reduce this
evil would permit that which is sure
to intensity and aggravate the wrong
that it seeks to reduce.
submit these four lines of evil
dence to prove the proposition with
which I set out. namely, our city ad
4 mfnistration Is In shameful completely
with the social vice. If anyone re
mains unconvinced must simply
pass him by and insist that there is
no man so hard to convince as the
man who does not want to be con
WINGED.
| cannot forbear In this relation
giving vent to my hottest indignation
in view of this deplorable situation
and believe voice the sentiments
of the great majority of our citizen
ship. The old question may we'll be