Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-05-02
WI LiLsll An - II III rs UNIT
WEDNESDAY, MAY. q, 1906:

/: WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1905.
WlLLMAR REMAINS DRY.
Willmar will continue the dry
policy under which she has
fourished and prospered during
the last few years: All doubts
regarding this matter were dis
sipated last Monday rs evening
when the no-license men upon
the council rejected nine appli-
cations for saloon license. Three
of the council preferred to resign
before the question of granting
license was taken up, thus leav.
ing the city affairs entirely in the
hands of the five members who
were determined to remain at
their posts to carry out the policy
for which they stood in the elec-
ton. The manly stand taken by
the city council sent a thrill of
satisfaction thruout the city and
especially thruout the surround.
ing farming communities. Their
action marked a new era in the
moral development of the COM
munity. Manhood, character
and principle will hereafter be
qualities especially looked to in
the selection of members of the
city government, and such pro-
cedure will, be certain to result
in good to the community.
To many superficial observers
the proposition that a council will
refuse to grant saloon licenses
when q majority of the people
who voted at the election said
that they may seems wrong. But
when they stop to consider the
question closely and the condi-
tions under which the council
was elected, they will find that
not only was it right for them to
vote against the saloons but a
sacred duty as well. In the first
place the saloon business is an
evil and it is so recognized by the
law. In that the question whether
to tolerate it or not in a commun-
ity differs from other questions
involving merely financial or
material interests. A license
man thinks a saloon can be run
as a respectable" place by hedg-
ing it about with stringent
regulation. The no-icense man
believes that the evil of the bust
ness increases in the same ratio
as it is made apparently respect
able.
Knowing that the no-license
men held such views and we're
nominated and elected to support
the no-icense policy, how could
any sane man expect that they
would go ahead to select and
sanction the keepers of evil re-
sorts? If the license people can
elect men willing to father and
authorize saloon keepers at Will
mar they will have the saloons,
but not until then. During the
past two years the saloon men
have not deemed it worth while
to nominate men to represent
them at the elections. When by
hook or crook, mostly crook, they
managed to secure permission
from the voters to grant saloon
license, they find that they do
not have the men on the council
who care to become responsible
for any such bad business.
The stand taken by the coun-
Gil last Monday night, we repeat,
marks a new era in the develop
ment of the fight to maintain a
clean city, For the next two
years no-icense is practically
assured, and we see no probable
ity of the liquor men ever being
able to control the city council
again as long as temperance
sentiment is as strong as it is,
and it is increasing in strength
every year. The special election
made necessary by the resigna:
ton of three aldermen will result
in gains for the no-icense major
ity on the council: All honor to
the big five, the stalwart major.
ity that had convictions and dared
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