Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-03-04
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4. 1908
THE KANDlY0nI ELECTION

The city editor of the Willmar
Gazette writes the Kandiyohi COL
umn for that paper. In the last is
sue he attempts to discuss the Ii
cense question involved in the cleo
ton to be held at that village next
Tuesday,. Reading the same over
carefully two or three times, we
have come to the conclusion that,
while he has attempted to offend
neither side in the controversy, still
the effect CT his article was intend
ed to influence in favor of license.
In fact, we have heard an apparent
ly we'll founded report that the said
city editor has laid a wager that
the village will go "wet.' In Or
der that our readers may Judge as
to the correctness of our opin ion
we reproduce the last part OF the
article in question, as follows:
"Whatever the result of the vote
Kandiyohi will be able to take care
Of itself and no bitter feeling will
be engendered. Popular sentiment
favors the rule of the majority and
If no-license carries every citizen
will turn in to assist the council in
keeping the village free from blind
pigs. If on the other hand license
carries the people will probably get
what they want in case suitable
parties agree to the license fee
which the council may determine.
The fact that there is no bitterness
in the struggle but that good feel
ing prevails is a happy condition
and may be accounted for from the
fact that neither side is so egotis-
tical as to refuse to see some advan-
tage in the plans proposed by the
rival"
The question as to license or no
license at Kandiyohi is not mat
ter of little consequence to the peo-
pie, as the Gazette writer would
try to make out. It is very seri-
Gus matter indeed. If the town.
ship of Kandiyohi had voice in
the matter, there is no question but
that it would be decided upon as it
has always been in the past.
against license. We refuse to be-
lieve that there is any serious dan
ger Of the village going back on its
old traditions at this time. This
is the fourth year since the village
Incorporated and none of the previ-
Gus three elections have there been
ten voters who cared to sign a Pc
tition to have the question voted
upon. Very likely there would
have been no issue in this election
had not the intrusion of the beer
house made it necessary to secure
vote on the question. The legal
technicality which permitted the
beer house to come in was eagerly
taken advantage of by the brewing
company, who expect in this way
to get wedge in and, if possible,
secure a change of opinion in the
village sufficient to give them a
permanent hold on the community.
Victory for license at 1his time
would be victory for the brewing
house scheme and for the John
Gund Brewing Co. With the sa-
looms shut out along the railroad
from Litchfield to DeGraff, it is
but natural that the liquor interests
would make great efforts to secure
a foothold, and if we know the
Kandiyohi people right, they will
not lend themselves to any such
scheme. If the brewing company
will accept their walking papers
with such good grace as the Gazette
editor says, we presume all is we'll
and good, but whether such action
produce bitterness or no bitterness
with the brewing company, the vot-
ers of Kandiyohi village should do
their full duty and make the vote
against license so overwhelming
that the question will remain SET
tied, as it is in the neighboring viii
lagos of Spicer, Pennock, New Lon
don, Brooten and others.