The wageworker., 1907-04-26
THE EXCISE BOARD.
Time to Elect Man Who Has Busi-
ness Ability About Him.

ness Ability About Him.
Merritt L. Blackburn. democratic
nominee for exciseman, should be
elected by majority that will be
lasting rebuke to disturbers and fan
ally that this city has had enough
of mediocre ability in such respons-
lille position.
Mr.. Blackburn, who is the cashier
OF the Bankers Life Insurance Co., of
this city, is young man of splendid
ability, of unimpeachable integrity,
and with reputation for square deal
ing that commends him to the voters
of this city. He stands for strict reg
ulation of the saloons, for $1,000 IL
cense, for regulation of the drug
stores and for square dealing between
the city and the men who obey the
law and pay the fee demanded of
them. If there are those who imagine
that Mr. Blackburn will consent to
lessening of the regulations they
should at once disabuse their minds.
The election of Mr.. Blackburn will
prevent constant wrangle for the
next two years, to the disturbance of
business and the straining of friend
ships.
| Right here and now The Wagework-
er wants it distinctly understood that
| it stands for the strictest kind of reg
| ulation of the liquor traffic 1t realizes
that the liquor traffic is an evil, but it
difference between a commonsense
regulation and a fanatical puritanism
| that would intensity an evil which il
seeks to curtail. If it had the power
The Wageworker would close every
saloon in America before next Satur
day night, and keep them closed for
ever But experience has taught us
that it is folly to enact a prohibition
law and expect it's enforcement be
| fore the people are ready to enforce
it. The liquor traffic in Lincoln is
better regulated that it is in any city
OF similar size in any prohibition
state. All the oratory of prohibition
lists can not controvert this fact There
are more government liquor licenses
in Topeka than there are in Lincoln
and the liquor traffic in Topeka is
fan worse than it is here Prohi
bition may work fairly well in the
| villages of Kansas, but it is dismal
failure in Topeka, Wichita, Leaven.
worth, Atchinson, Emporia and other
cities of considerable size. writer
in the Portland, Maine, Express, who
is quoted by a University Place pro-
| hibition paper, says: Please remem-
Der there are more low dives under
license than prohibition" The Wage
worker will remember nothing of the
kind because it tries to forget eevry
Laid misstatement 1t hears There
are more low dives in Topeka than
there are saloons in Lincoln. There
are more low dives in Wichita than
there are saloons in Lincoln. The ed
itor of The Wageworker saw more
drunken men in Portland, Maine in
one month than he has seen in Lin
coin during seven years residence.
The Wageworker is not a saloon or
gan; it is, on the contrary, opposed
to the revenue system that has fast
cned itself upon the traffic; but The
Wageworker prefers forty well regu-
| LAT 10 inc hoe I,
200 "holes-in-the-walls." that infest To-
peka. And if The Wageworker had
| its way not a dollar of license money
would go to the school fund-or any
other fund.
| But this question is one purely of
commonsense. Not another city of
Lincoln's size in the United States
handles the liquor question as sanely
No other city exercises such good con-
troll over the traffic. Merit l.. Black
burn stands for continuation of that
policy. His election will settle veXed
question for at least two years. Ord
mary business sense demands the
defeat of U. G. Powell, whose inability
to manage his own business AFFAIRS
successfully presents a reason why he
is not able to manage the important
business of a municipality like Lin
coin.
A vote for Brown and Blackburn is
a vote to keep Lincoln ahead of cities
| of equal size