The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-03-17


Abolish the saloons and the blind
! tiger viii find . location whegever |
! ,Lere is n demand for his goods In /
| - rinston liquor Is sold In n number of |
"a looms, each paying License taxes |
amounting 10 about s2.00o-0o per an
mum III O saloon keeper is caught sell |
ing liquor TO q minor, selling liquor |
On Sunday. or selling liquor between
: he hours Of p. m and a N he u |
lot only indictAble but he Is made 20 |
.Urfeit his license. and under this sys- ,
/ lem my observation is We have In this
respect the best regulated city In the
state.
| Crusaders are Incorporate: extrava-
nart in their demands. The Anti-sa-
/ :1on league vent before the extra ses-
4lcn OF the general assembly in jan
uary with a prepared bill That bin
VAS not drawn by a cool headed. fair
minded temperance man for the sake
Of temperance. but was prepared by
an artful politician.
First. As drawn The people OF the
state were deprived. according TO its
oppressed terms. OF any vote in the
/ mater and the legislature was siren
! cCsily urged To pass the bill without
'-.f.'Ta IT -nR II 10 the people
The srec'al session as 4 well known
vas called for special purpose. but
lN.7:s hiTf w~s suddenly th-uG- upou item
backed by what seemed 70 be demand
icr the roonle. and its passage urged
~ stro7r men in the democratic par
~. THiS the LEGISLATURE refused to do
r-ithort submitting IL 10 the people
The bin naseed the senat" containing
ha e3f
each vo-ing precinct U \Quote from
memory two ballot boxes one Dlatr-
- rartod in Romn letters. For
the manufacture and sale o. intoXi-
can't liquors." and tho other Against
hc manufacture and sale or lntoxl-
eating liquors"
WHY this innovation? There was
but one question 10 be voted on. We
and our fathers before US have always
voted on one proposition in one box
; II a Pharisee wanted to vote and a
Publican likewise wanted to vote their
ballots passed through the same SLOT
This provision was stricken out by the
house, and had 1t not been there would
, lave been a serious question as TO its
constitutionality. Section Ef article
6 OF the state constitution declares that
: "alI elections by the people shall be
bv ballot, and all elections by the gen
, eral assembly shall be viva voce."
= Members Of the general assembly are
= the agents of the people. They must
? vote aloud, viva voce. so that the
people may know how they vote. IL
Elections by the people must be by
3 ballot so that nelghbor may vote II
he sees proper, folded ticket SO as
rot to offend his neighbor or friend.
? This was extremely important in the
proposed prohibition election 10 the
: eId that neighbor might not set
Z Z against his neighbor. and that fam
aticism might not boycott the business
of it's adversary
, This bill, as passed, provides that the
ballots used in the May election by
- those favoring the ratification OF the
prohibition bill shall have printed or
> written thereon the words Against
the manufacture and sale OF intoxl-
;, eating liquors." and those opposing the
, prohibition bill shall vote a ticket
= For the manufacture and sale Of in
. toxicating liquors" Why did not prohi-
hition friends provide that the ticket
4 | shall be either for or against prohi-
q b.tion simply? That is what 1t amounts
I to at last I suspect that in the zeal
n of the man who drew the bill, he con-
lcluded that individuals would be de-
r tered from voting against his bill by
: so shaping the bill that the jeering fin
Z ser might point to the voter as man
i Icing in league with the distiller and
: saloon keepers.
: Again, suppose the voter wants the
= dispensary, but does not want the dis
-fp In hxy ct fnE N
e the letter of the law, could not vote
4 his sentiments at all
t But the people will see through this
\ scheme and will understand that they
: are called upon on the day of election
Q To- say by their ballots whether this
K bill, as passed by the general assem-
9 by, with all it's provisions shall be-
o come law.
o In large portion OF the state or
: chards are growing upon most of the
:. farms. In many instances they were
!, planted by the fathers and the grand
;, fathers of the present owners. Since
. the first settlement of this country
s our people have had the privilege OF
e .listilling their fruit If this bill be-
t comes a law. by being ratified by the
= people at the polls, this privilege is
gone, and in thousands of instances
d fruit will rot upon the ground.
In some sections of the state the
S vine is grown and the fruit Of the vine
I has been for years manufactured into
e VINE. The prohibition bill protects
8 this industry by exempting the wine
: maker and the cider maker from the
y provisions OF the bill. l think that
E provision as 70 wine and cider a wise
Il one for reasons already given; but
$ why this discrimination? Did the
e trainers of the bill know that men
: could get drunk on WINE? Both Noah
ana LOT learned this fact some years
I ago.
But the worst feature Of the bill
: is found IN section I. which provides
that IL Gaze a majority OF TIE people