The public weal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1906-1908, 1907-03-01
Public Hearings on County Option Bill
Drive the
Coutes-County Option a Prominent Issue in the
Campaign.

the fact that the bill proposed merely
to put the question of saloon or no
saloon up to the people for settlement
Mr.. Zollman, beer generalissimO, intro
duced ID. G. Smith, Duluth. He de-
nounced the measure as unfair in
view of the home rule amendment to
the constitution adopted in 1906. A
declaration that slaughter houses
within the city limits were as bad, il
not worse, than saloons brought down
the house, which, by the way, was
nine-tenths for the bill. There will
Educate the people, control the traf
fic; this is the way to deal with this
subject. More liquor is sold anC
there are more inmates in the peni
tentiary per capita in prohibition
states than in license states" This
statement brought Supt. Palmer of the
Anti-Saloon League to his feet, who
Indignantly denied the statement ant
offered to give figures to back his de
NAL, but withdrew while Mr.. Smith
continued Bishops Potter and Glib
bons, Andrew D. White and DR.. Ly
man Abbott oppose prohibition an(
Neal Dow, the father of prohibition,
declared the speaker none too ingen
uously, regretted his championship O
that policy before his DEATH"
John M. Townley, mayor of Fergus
Falls, was very much excited over tht
$4,000 revenue now annually derived
| from the saloons of that city. F. G
Massey, city attorney Of East Crane
Forks, said that the removal of sa
looms from that hub of hell Che didn'
give it that name) which had beel
opened depending on present condi
tions would injure business. He di'
not stop to explain what his city
chief business is. County option ha
no logical foundation. The speake
had attended Hamline University sev
eral years and that prohibition suburb
had been troubled with several blin'
pigs. It is putting it very mildly t.
say that the speaker would never
have made this declaration before
Hamline audience, as the editor o
The Public Veal, who has made tha
burg his home for over twenty years
is in position to know.
A number of protests were made a
this point that the opponents of tn
bill were taking the entire time. 1t wa
finally agreed, however, that the,
should have still more time, afte
which the friends of the measure
would have another turn. The bll
was then opposed by G. O. DAILY, Cit,
attorney of Mankato; Theo. Splane
Rochester and Ed. Lees, WinOna, VIII
seemed to think the prosperity of hi
beautiful city depended upon tn
$4,000 contributed annually by it
saloons, the breweries and the barle,
raised in the county. He said: -
speak for the best business interest
of Winona to a man" According t.
this statement either godliness is no
profitable unto all things in soutl
eastern Minnesota or the Christian
people of Winona are not working a
their religion.
Rev. Peter Peterson, who a week be
fore had spoken for the ministers O
the Swedish Lutheran church, pre-
sented resolutions favoring the meas
ure which had unanimously bee
adopted by the synod, representa-
400 congregations whose session L
Minneapolis was just closing. we q
not object" said he, Ito municipal col
troll of the saloon question II the vi
lagos and cities will also confine tn
results of the saloon within their lin
it's. But unfortunately, while they n
ceive the saloon revenue, the entir
county is compelled to suffer the po'
erty and crime which results from tn
saloon and to pay a large share of tn
cost of caring for the one and punisl
ing the other.
Rev. F. M. Eckman, Center Cit
cold. seXMo do not ask YOu to vote Ol