Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-06-10
AGAINST COUNTY OPTION.

We are sorry to see Editor N. P.
Olson of the Anoka Free Press
come out against county option.
In column editorial in reply to
the comment we made last week,
Mr.. Olson assumes that towns of
500 or larger population constitute
communities outside of which the
influence of the "jag' factories
within their limits do not reach.
He also assumes that the population
in the cities and villages are pre-
dominantly in favor Of the liquor
business. He has compiled some
interesting statistics as to the rela-
tive proportion of the urban and
rural population. He finds that
the 61O cities and villages have a
combined population of 1,O48,922,
or SO per cent of the total popula-
tion of the state. He then draws
this conclusions:
"Since these 610 cities and viii
lagos, containing majority of the
population Of the state, already
have the power through existing To-
cal option laws to abolish the liq-
uor traffic within their borders, if
they SO wish, it is not very likely
that the population Of these cities
and villages will support a measure
which deprives them of this power
for the mere pleasure Of giving
outsiders an equal voice with them
selves in the management of their
municipal affairs, especially when
these outsiders already have,
through these same local option
laws, the power to shut out the
liquor traffic from their own re.
5pective townships.
The above shows just how little
Brother Olson has studied the ques.
ton and the feeling that exists
thruout the state. In the first
place, if the population in the cities
have the majority and wish to re.
tain license in the county, county
option gives them the privilege OF
doing so. The interests of the
farming community and villages ir
the ordinary county are Identical
as far as the liquor business is con.
cerned. What good would it dc
the farmers of township to vote
against license when a village with.
in it's limits or near it's limits is
permitted to establish saloons with.
out asking the population tributary
to the same whether they wish il
or not? AS far as enforcement is
concerned, the county is the small.
lest effective unit. Very few vii.
lagos have any prosecuting attor.
neys and are obliged to fall back or
the county attorney. All the costs
of prosecuting fall upon the county
as whole. Local option as it is
au present is giving villages anc
cities the option of establishing q
business that is demoralizing and
Dreys upon the farming community
without giving those people (whc
are directly affected) a voice in the
matter. County option is step in
the direction of justice and equal
rights to all. 1t is, however, a
temperance measure and therefore
unfortunately, people who have the
ideas Of Brother Olson are natural
ly opposed to it because it would
extend the no-license territory by
leaps and bounds in the state. If
there is any doubt as to where
Brother Olson stands, the following
paragraph from his editorial will
settle it:
County option is not fair prop
osition; it does not afford square
deal. Under it's operation these
counties which have the largest ur-
ban population will be enabled to
control the liquor traffic by means
OF the license system as is now
done, and reap the financial results,
while the counties where the rural
population predominates may be ex-
pected to have this means of regu-
lation knocked out, and substitute
prohibition which as rule means
the clandestine handling of intoxi.
eating liquors without any regula.
lions whatsoever so long as there
are those in the community who in.
sist on having stimulants at all haz.
ards"
When Brother Olson can prove