Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-14
Two Extremes for the Same End

TWO Extremes Tor the Same End.
The paradox WAS presented before
the Rock Island city council last even
ing of the two extremes in influences rel
alive to the liquor traffic in the city,
working to the same end-the defeat
of the proposition to submit to the
people the proposition to raise the sa-
loon license from $500 to $1,000.
While both interests sought to accom-
plish the same disposition of the mat
ter and succeeded, they were actuated
by directly opposite motives. The
anti-saloon people, as represented by
the church petitions desired the coun-
Gil to defer action at the present mo-
ment believing that without immediate
proceedings looking to the regulation
OF the liquor traffic, their position
would be stronger in the DEVELOPMENT
of sentiment looking to the submits
sion of the local option proposition to
the people in connection with the
spring election. On the other hand
the liquor interests considered only
the present, and fought the submits
sion of the vote to the people fearing
that it would carry, and maintaining
that the increase would be oppressive
to the saloon interests, discriminating
in its effect, as driving out of business
certain percentage of the saloons
now existing.
In the relative attitude of the two
influences, the anti-saloon people pre-
sented the farsighted side of the issue,
and the representation of the liquor
traffic the shortsighted position. The
anti-saloon influences submitted their
protests in the form of numerous pc
| titions addressed to and read before
the council, while the liquor interests
exerted their influence by personal So
licitation among the aldermen in ad-
vance of the meeting.
In view of the pressure brought to
bear from both sources, the majority
of the aldermen were in a state of
pitiful bewilderment. They seemed
to have ON opinions of their own
and would have taken the side
switching of the entire question in the
same light that man awakens from
q horrible nightmare. And now that
Iall is over-for the present-some of
the councilmen who voted against sub
hitting the proposition to the people,
attribute their action to the effect of
the anti-salOOn communications, others
to the crushing blow the 81 900 license
would have been to the struggling sa.
loon, and still others to the fact that
a special election on the subject would
involve an unnecessary expense. And
altogether they-the- aldermen who
voted against putting the question up
to the peOple-are heaving signs of re
iSl CuiI lHCy Wei : not Cdlltu upOH u
act in their official capacity in the ex
ercise of their proper prerogative or
the square-toed issue as to whether
the license should be increased or not
The Argus has u:ged, and still main
tains, the high license measure to be prop
err. 1t believes in the increased licens,
reposes the best solution of the liquo
r question from the standpoint of sufficient
regulation and in consideration of tn
much needed increase in municipal
revenues. With high license in force
and in position TO- trial would hav,
, developed an argument for a conserva
2 tive consideration of the saloon ques
i ton in all it's bearings with promiset
beneficial results as against the gen
r orally harmful effects of a possible
G radical course of action.
The peculiar phase of the peculia
:, isituation as it developed in the ligh
r of the pressure from the two extreme
k that influenced last nights action i
that one side or the other may fee
. the peculiar effect of the reboun
Ullater on.
ISL Nobody wanted the half<ioaf.