Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1907-03-21


final exnlkhhas been the establishment
of a beard OF telephone commissioners
consisting OF the governor sAate treas
urer and an expert telephone man 10
be selected by the governor, who are
given very large powers i'm the direc-
tian of the establishment OF maximum
rates. compelling connections aud the
like. II is the hope Of the legislature
that ont Of Ii Will come harmonizing
and articnlating OF the many interests
and result In making the telephone, In
broader sense the servant OF man II
was destined to be-
Corporations in general also were
considered The fees for charters
We're considerably increased and other
conditions relating 10 Incorporating
adopted. The incorporation OF com
mercial companies in South Dakota
has been almost a scandal for years
and il is doubtful If this session has
improved the conditions in this re-
gard Hitherto AT least one-rhird of
the incorporators were required 10 be
residents of the state, but this condi
ton has been done away with and
persons residing anywhere can incor-
porate here so long as resident agent
is maintained.
Temperance Legislation.
We have mad legislatures which
state sale laws. high license laws and
in fact every Legislature has been
dominated by desire to better condi-
tidns relating TO the liquor traffic, but
not before have We had a body so
dominated BY practicable temperance
views AND out of no other session has
50 many temperance enactments come.
The one OF these attracting most
attention, however, is not the vOiun-
tary contribution of the legislature.
but comes out upon the mandate of
the initiative for submission TO the
people. This relates to county option
and was defeated upon final passage
fact induced the Anti-Saloon league To
invoke the constitutional initiative. Ii
may he said there is genuine differ
ence OF opinion relating to the prac-
ticability of his act among temper
ance advocates.
Next to the county opt ion bill the
most important proposition is the act
empowering officers TO make search
for and seize and destroy Illicit liq-
rors. This bill was fathered by Sen-
ator Johnson OF kingsbury and will
make Illegal sales from blind pigs,
holes in the walls and bootlegs diff
cult
Cable and Laxson of Lincoln county
are responsible for two other meas
ures affecting the sale OF liquors in
local option localities. The first OF
these prohibits druggist from filing
prescription prescribing liquors a
second time, SO that every time the
old soak goes to the drug store he
will he compelled TO bring in a new
physicians prescription. The other
makes places where liquors are lille
gally sold common ntisances and
therefore abatable by Injunction or
other summary process.
The sale Of liquors within 300 feet
of church or school or within one
third Of a mile Of a-~college Is also
prohibited and the circuit courts di-
rected to enioin sucn sales where at.
tempted.
Limits Number of Saloons.
One of the important temperance
measures was introduced by See OF
Roberts and provides that not more
than one license TO sell Intoxicating
liquors shall be granted for each 300
people, as shown by the last census
OF the community affected.
A memorial to congress also was
passed praying that no government
tax license he issued to sell liquors in
any locality where the sale is prohib-
tied by law This is a measure tenn
perance people have long desired. be
cause 1t will completely outlaw the
traffic In local option communities
and. too. secure the cooperation OF
Uncle Sam in running down and pun
ishing offenders.
The educational code also contains
a provision for instruction in all of
the schools Of the state relating to the
physiological effects Of alcohol upon
the human system.
Finally, the sale OF cigarettes and
tobacco TO minors is absolutely pro
hibited The law upon the latter sub,
iect is particularly drastic.
The only bill lost in which the TEN
perance people We're unitedly favor
able was the anti-treating bill This
passed the house and was lost by
tie vote in the senate, with one mem
Der favorable to the bill absent There
was strong desire to give this propo-
sition fair trial and great disap-
pontment at it's defeat under the cir
cumstances.
1t may be taken for granted that a
legislature enacting such laws was
composed of men OF clean lives per
sonally. This is true in a remarkable
degree. Practically the entire mem
bership of both houses are not only
temperance men but teetotalers.
There is not to exceed one boozer in
the entire body and that one rarely
drinks to excess. The carousals
which have brought reproach upon
some sessions in consequence have