Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-03-20
LEGlSL ALIVE LETTER.


Of the Legislature repealed so many
laws restricting the liquor traffic, and
refused to pass so much legislation in
tended to protect our youth from it's
ravages, that they are bold at this
session not only to fight the county
option law which they. have succeeded
in defeating, but they have introduced
a bill, which seems to be on the high
way to enactment, which will enable
them to win back MOST of the villages
and cities which have gone dry.
~
The gain in dry territory, which has
been so marked during the past few
years, has seriously interfered with
the liquor trade, and House File No.
142 and Senate File of the same num-
Der provides that in the future local
option elections may be held without
any public notice. This is startling
anomaly, since any general election
or any municipal election, which by
law occur with unerring regularity,
would be nullified unless proper legal
notice was given, whereas a local op-
ton fight, which may or may not be
held in conjunction with these elections,
would require absolutely no notice.
The whole weight of this law is to the
great advantage of the liquor element.
Prohibition can never be won except
by appealing. to the reason, Judgment
and patriotism of the people, hence
public meetings, literature, facts and
figures must be the means used to win
it. The whiskey people, on the other
hand, never hold public meeting,
never distribute literature, but do all
their fighting under cover, and the
greater secrecy for them the better.
: ~
Early in the session, one of the nice
clean, right-side-up members who in
some way seems to be always at COM
mand for the dirty work of the traffic
introduced a bill providing that malt
up to 2 per cent by weight which is
about 2 Sc per cent by volume, or
nearly up to light beer should be non
intoxicating under the law. When
the matter came up before the temper
ance committee which had meeting
his week, the attorneys for the brew
cries which make this kind of stuff,
were on hand to argue for it's favor
able consideration. George S. Hig-
gins, who is member of the commit
tee, made an address before that body
showing that blind pigs could exist
according to law and that beer saloons
could flourish without paying license
in any part of the state. In this he
was ably supported by one of the
democratic members and the bill was
electrocuted.
~
The committee also considered a
bill prohibiting a saloon within one
mile of the agricultural college and
recommended it to pass. This will ef-
feet no existing saloon.
The county option bill was not
reached by the temperance committee
at its meeting this week. The meeting
of the committee was the first one so
far as your correspondent knows, to
be held without external pressure. II
is quite evident that the committee
does not intend to reach the bill if it
can help it. Should it be dragged on
to the floor, q considerable number
of people will fight every movement
that will get it to roll call. On the
other hand, the friends of the bill are
not over anxious for roll call since
naturally it would mean nothing as
to the standing of the members. They
would vote aye or nay with an eye
single to political effect, the bill being
already killed in the senate.
~
=" From present Indications, the history
of this Legislature will be that it moi
only defeated the county option bill,
as its predecessors for the last twenty
years have done, but in addition there
to they will emasculate the presen,
local option law. Every lover of fair
IN HISTOpv