Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-08-05
THAT SPICER DIFFICULTY.
The editor of the Dassel Anchor

Spicer on the last Sunday of the
Chautauqua and was very much dis
pleased with the treatment he re-
ceived. In his general disgust he
took occasion to give Sheriff Bonde
slam in the following words: "A
very noticeable thing was the
amount of drunkenness on the
streets and the sheriff Of a Prohibi-
tion county, elected on a Prohibi-
ton ticket, serenely looking on. -
The Green Lake Breeze last week
published a reply to the criticism
of the Anchor and in making a re-
joinder the Dassel editor qualities
the above statement very material
ly. He says: "After wandering
about all day trying to dodge the
little junk shops that had slop
called malt and suspicious lemonade
on sale, it would have been a relief
to have found bottle Of good, cool
beer to take the dark brown taste
out Of our mouths. HAD WE
KNOWN THE ROPES WE Pos
SIBLY COULD HAVE FOUND
II. There was no one from Dassel
that was drunk unless he managed
to become so from lake water.'
By his own testimony the Dassel
editor proves that there was not so
much drunkenness at Spicer as his
first editorial would indicate. We
have noticed at Willmar that it
usually is the fellow who tried very
hard to get something to take the
dark brown taste out of his
mouth and failed that is the man
who talks the loudest about the
failure Of prohibition; but they are
usually not SO frank to admit it as
the brother down the way.
Booze was undoubtedly distri-
buted in considerable quantities
and there were a number of DRINKS.
The distributors were the eXcur-
!ionists. Whether the sheriff did
his full duty or not may be a mat
ter Of argument. At any rate.
common report said that several
dozen cases of beer were furnished
thirsty drinkers, and the sale did
not stop till the supply was ex-
nausted. --Republican Gazette.
In the above despicable fashion
the Gazette begins its campaign
against Sheriff Bonde. 1t quotes
the Dassel editors first statement
and then adds the above from ''com-
mon report. - It now remains to
be seen if the Gazette will publish
the Dassel editors last statement.
The Tribune editor is willing to
stake everything he possesses on
the proposition that if any Of the
contents Of the few beer cases
brought in by the Benson train was
sold at Spicer mighty good care was
taken to do it so Sheriff Bonde
would not know it. The Gazette
forgets to say that one man who
attempted to do some bootlegging
at Spicer was apprehended by
Sheriff Bonde and is now serving
time in Jail.
Under our present laws it is no
crime to send for case of beer for
ones own use. A sheriff in Mimi
esota has no authority to take and
destroy any liquor on sight. He
must catch the seller in the act or
have positive evidence to prove a
sale. If someone brought a case of
beer with him to the lake and be-
came enthusiastic over it's contents,
the sheriff could not help it. The
only "debatable question: involved
is how far the sheriff can go under
the law in suppressing drinking,
and there is not the least question
that Sheriff Bonde will go just as
far as the law permits. His oppo-
sition usually gives him credit for
that. Further, their hue and cry
is usually that the sheriff goes too
far in his efforts to suppress drink
ing. The above hypocritical insin-
uation that Bonde should have
failed to do anything he could to
suppress drinking at Spicer is en-
tirely uncalled for and is made only
in the hope of deceiving some tenn
perance man into casting his vote
against Bonde.
The people who paid their money
to see ball game had just cause
FOR cnnanlaint This Manor has