The Columbus journal., 1908-06-17
BUSINESS MEN ARE onuAm.z.,,u

BUSINESS MEN ARE OR0ANlzIFss
70 Protect the Material Interests o.
Taxpayers Against Unwise
Legislation.
Hundreds of the best business hous-
e. Of Omaha have joined an orsaniza-
ton styled the Merchants and Man.
ufacturers' association. which is rap.
idly growing In strength and influence.
Its avowed object is to protect the ma
terial interests Of taxpayers against
any movement known to be detriment-
al to them. Just now the association
is giving Its attention to the quiet but
vigorous campaign being carried on in
Nebraska by the paid agents Of the
Anti-Sal00n league. who are seeking 70
foist statutory prohibition upon the
people through subterfuge which
they call county option" In other
states where they have operated they
openly declared that ":he object of the
league is statutory prohibition" that
county option is q natural step to pro.
hibitiOn."
The Merchants and Manufacturers
association stands for q strict enforce.
ment Of the Sl0cumb high license Law.
under which any village or town may,
by popular vote, decide to license the
sale of liquor or not. Under this law
over $50 Nebraska towns have gone
cry. It affords the greatest possible
degree of home rule, not interfering
with the right of community to man.
age its own affairs. Under its pr0vis.
ions, outsiders cannot dictate to the
people Of q town or village what they
must do in the matter of regulating
the liquor trafic. Every state In the
Union, save four, long ago adopted the
license system, and nearly two dozen
states have abandoned statutory pr0hi-
system. Experience has proved that
the local license system Is the only
practical means of regulating and con-
trolling the sale of liquor.
The new association Of business
men holds to the conviction that the
Slocumb high license law has been Of
great benefit to Nebraska since its en-
actment in 1887, and THEREFORE the law
must be defended from attack. They
are convinced that business prosperity
is possible under the license system.
whereas it is easy to see that statu-
tory prohibition Injuries business by
causing outside capital to shun a state
having that policy. They are con-
WINGED that county option means pro-
hibitiOn in the end and for that reason
Is a menace to the business interests
of the state. Their appeal is made to
the merchants and taxpayers of the
whole state, knowing that if the latter
can be shown the true inwardness OF
the movement for county option, they
will soon be able to effect an Organiza-
ton in every county strong enough to
destroy the work of the imported, sal
aried agents of the Anti-Saloon league.
Hundreds of business men have
joined the association under the fol-
lowing conditions:
"As business men and taxpayers we
favor the movement to form An AssO-
citation of Merchants and Manufacture
ers for the purpose of adopting meas
ures to bring about better enforce
ment of the SlOcumb liquor license
law throughout the state-a law max
ing it optional with the people of a
town or city to say whether or not
liquor shall be sold. We believe the |
said law has been of great benefit to |
the state and that there can be no
better means for regulating the sale of |
We stand for its strict |
We join this association
with the understanding that no dis |
tiller, brewer, liquor dealer or saloon
keeper is eligible to membership. Our
object is to protect property interests
from the i'll effects Of unwise legislar
ton"