Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1907-05-02
PROHIBITION IN OKLAHOMA.

PROHIBITION IN OKLAHOMA.
Some Interesting Gossip Regarding
the Why's and Wherefores Of the
Fight Over the Sumptuary Pro
vision Of the Constitution to be
Submitted to the Voters Next
August.
\ recent Washington dispatch to
the Aberdeen American says:
If oklahoma votes for prohibition
it will be because the sports OF the
Indian Territory want to play 4 joke
on the oklahoma portion of the new
commonwealth, said {. Il. Smithson,
a prominent business man of the two
territories, yesterday, in Washington.
''Nou see. it is this way, said MIR.
SmithSOn: "l'nder the act of congress
admitting the new state, no intoxicat
ing liquor can be sold in the present
Indian Territory for twenty -one years.
In making up the constitution, i'm the
recent convention. this was taken un-
der consideration, and, because that
part of the proposed state was COM
PEELED to endure the hypocrisy of pro-
hibition for that period, 1t was deter
mined by many of the Indian Terri
tory delegates, who were i'm the ma
jority in the convention, that they
would do everything possible to force
it upon the other part of the state.
The convention, however, did not pro-
vide for prohibition directly, but ar
ranged that Il separate vote should ',c
takrnun the question. This inSurcs
the hottest sort of il fight ON the whole
thing when the constitution is voted
upon in August. The prOhibitionists
are more or less pleased with the pros
pcct, but have been brought to a real
ization of the fight they must put up,
such realization coming as IA result OF
the recent tremendous gathering of
the German- Americans of the new
state at Guthrie. More than 5000 of
these good, substantial citizens passed
resolutionS pledging themselves to
fight sumptuary legislation uf this
kind aud also to vote against the en-
tire constitution The Irish voters of
the state have also agreed to do like
wise, and the action OF these strong
organizations have stiffened the back.
bone of the liberal minded element OF
the state.
AN unusually virile argument has
lately been furnished To the anti.
prohibitionistS by the publication in
St Louis papers of official figures
showing that, since the putting on oil
the Sunday lid, alcoholism has in
creased from - to 100 per cent in all
the city hospitals, while Sunday crime
has more than doubled. The otficia
figures and the statements of hospital
surgeons show that st. Louis has be.
come city OF Sunday 'bottletoters.
Men who formerly went to orderly
places on Sundays and INDUCED in d
few glasses OF beer now buy BOTTLES o.
stronger drink on Saturday night anf
spend Sundays i'm the worst sort q
drunks. Oklahoma people begin tt
realize that something of the same
thing will he the result i'm that state
with prohibition. Every man wht
wants to drink will carry bottle o.
the fiery stuff i'm his hip pocket Blin6
tigers, hypocrisy, deceit and inditfer
ence to law will come along in due
time. 1t is always the case wler,
light drinks like beer and wine to-
bulky to be handled by blind tigers
are excluded by prohibition. while
there is no lessening of the consump
tion Of strong drink as "A whole.
.Our neighboring state OF Texa
shows an inclination to break ava,
I from prohibition. They have a county
! option law in that state. Twelv
Texas counties have recently been re
claimed from the dry people: bu
this was largely because the peopl
have become interested in an expert
ment of the Texas brewers and be
lieve in its efficacy. The brewers 0
that state now maintain a complete
detective system of their own, spend
ing 800 600 year in doing so. The
guarantee that every saloon man VIII
violates the law by permitting gam
bling at his place. or indecency or vic
latlon OF law in any form. will b
prosecuted by them. They flrnis
the testimony themselves, have thci
own awyers and have procured mum
bers uf convictions. Saloon-keepel
who never before feared the officers c
the law have the most whOlesom
respect fer the brewers organization
Under this system the saloons ilay
become orderly places and the peopl
prefer them 10 the blind tigers.
HAZELTON HAPPENINGS,