Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-03-01
Town and VILLAGE fiections.

day, when the voters OF each township
meet to elect officers for the year and
act upon report of town finances, levy
town taxes, etc. The township Coy
ernment is the most democratic OF all
our divisions of civil government be-
cause here every voter has direct
voice in the settlement OF business
matters aud in levying town taxes
Unless 4 vacancy exists, there will be
but one supervisor elected in each
town this year, the same to servo three
years.
Besides the twenty. four town meet
lngs OF the county there are six viii
lagos that hold their annual election
on that day, viz, Atwater, kandiyo-
hi, New London, l'ennock, Raym md
aud Spicer. I,re the matter Of levy
lag taxes is left to the discretion Of
three trustees who, with the village
president and the recorder, constitute
the village council, all members Of
which are elected each year.
In several Of these villages the ques-
ton whether or not to license luuor
selling will come up for decision ny a
direct vote by the citizens. la one or
two Of these Licipatities The Ques
ton will be voted upon for the frs,
time. The village of Spicer is one of
the latter and considerable interest is
manifested in the probable outcome.
AS the village is the center for q large
number OF summer visitors at Green
Lake, the question is Il serious one
for great many people outside of
Spicer aud not least in the city Of
Willmsr that furnishes a large quota
Of the summer residents.
Ii the wishes Of the people living in
the country tributary to the villages
in kandiyohi county were consulted,
the vote would stand overwhelmingly
against the legat'zing Of the traffic.
a the case Of Spicer this statement is
proven by the vote taken in Green
Lake township ia 1897, the year after
the station had been esta b ishet. when
license WAS Re fuss by the decisive
vote Of fOr:v.s TO seven. There are
but few townships in the county that
do not have small business centers or
butter towns witnjn their borders and
it is q significant fact that not In
single one Of these townships has any
one deemed i, worth while to try for
saloon license
L. is the item OF revenue that ap
pears so alluring to the cit Z q OF the
village VITO gives the IN alter only SUI
pei ticial thought and who has no
moral scrupl,s about giving his sane
ton to the business. Were it not to-
the i've hundred t. one Thousand dol
lars in sight for granting license, no
community in this county would tole-
rate saloons. Ia the question Of
Spicer we are luath to believe that
ma )rity IF the cit:z rs will consider
oLe thousand Go lars even a remote
compensation for The Il I'm age tire le
galized rumseller would inv taby DO
to their tOwa. Spicer has grown and
prOspered without the saloon money.
Were this fact not noticeable to any
one who passes through the town, it is
proven by the post Office receipts which
have increased from $3.50 in 1895 to
SG21 in 1903. Green lake is steadily
gaining in popularity as a summer
resort. Establish groggeries on it's
shores and most desirable element
Of it's visitors will be influenced to
stay away. Nc first class summer re-
sort or refined residence district will
tolerate the dispenser Of 'booze" in
its midst even in or near the large
cities. A most undesirable class OF
visitors who are not wanted elsewhere
will be attracted. Thug artists and
tramps will hover about place where
there is chance of crushing the
cam 1t is clear therefore, that if
Spicer desires to maintain and build
mer resort for the best kind of people,
they must speak out in no uncertain
way Tuesday, March II, against the
saloon.
1t is confidently expected that At.
wa'er will reverse her policy in regard
to the license evil this year. The
country districts are thoroughly
aroused and are using every means
OF petition and moral suasion to make
their influence felt among the voters
of the village.
No one in this day and generation
will advocate the licensing of saloons
as good thing. The liquor advo-
Gates use the argument that license is
the lesser Of the choice Of two evils
the legalized saloon and the blind
pigs. But a community that canno,
prote ct itself against the open blind
pigs that have no legal right to exis,
is utterly incapable Of regulating
legalized joints. From knowledge
gained from police records one car
easily find that it is u 'ually the trusted
customers Of some illicit joint thai
does the most talking about blind pigs
in general. Prohibition reduces The
drinking evil and reasonable enforce
ment brings it to minimum and tina
is all that is claimed in favor of Law
and order in regard to any evil o.
any species Of crime. ''Prohibiticl
at it's worst is better than license a