The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1908-10-10
A RIDICULOUS Wall.


Our local Democratic contemporary
is out in long, fearful wall, and what
do you suppose it is all about? In
word this: That Mayor Strimback
and Aldermen Talbot and Annable
attended the National Waterways
convention in Chicago during the past
week, to which they were sent by the
municipality as it's delegates to repre-
sent it's nterests,-absolutely went
on this important mission-when-
when--when they should hcve stayed
at home and promptly recommended
the issuance of saloon licenses to re-
sorts on the levee which had been
closed for persistent violation OF law!
This is the gist of the whole matter.
The plain implication is that the in
terests of four or five individuals
whose highest ambition in life is to sell
booze are paramount to those of the
community in matter of river improve
ment ard waterway development. Sim
ply to state the complaint is to ex-
pose it's righteousness. Because the
mayor and two Republican aldermen
discharged their duty to the commun-
ity before investigating the claims OF
certain would-be hung starters they
are charged with mot giving the
Democratic members (of the counciD
and the applicants for licenses a
square deal" This frank acknowledg-
ment of community of interests be-
.ween the Democratic members of the
council and the applicants for saloon
licenses, coming from the source it
does, is important in way.
Aldermen Hickey, Tigue, Off, McCor-
mick. Swanson and Seeman, all the
Democratic members except Alderman
Brown, made it plain at recent meet
ing of the city council that they were in
favor of re-opening the closed sa-
looms whether the latter intended to
obey the law in future or not. Their
| idea as expressed by their votes was
that no control should be exercised
over Keokuk saloons and no penalties
inflicted for infractions of the law
An ominous silence followed when the
4 Democratic party in Keokuk was asked
4 If it stood for this view-if the Demo
4 cratic aldermen named above correct
4 ly represented the Democratic party
and its purposes in Keokuk. Now
comes the recognized organ of that
party and enters joint complaint or
al,
bers and the applicants for licenses,
/ thus saying in effect that their inter
ests and purposes are identical True
the Democratic organ, in another con
nection, speaking more deliberately
and guardedly. says that mo reputable
citizen of Keokuk is in favor of tolerat
ing dives or saloons which are not op
Grated In accordance with the city or
dinances;" but this as everybody vii
recognize, is simply one way of saying
that it does not regard as reputable
citizens the Democratic aldermen
who voted to reissue licenses to the
men whose licenses were revoked fol
operating their resorts In direct vic
lation Of the ordinances in question
1t remains to be seen how the alder
men who thus voted appreciate this
back-handed lick from their party or
gan. If the cruel thrust is forgiven
1t will be, of course, because of thu
community of interest referred t,
above. The Democratic aldermen
and the applicants for saloon licenses
stand for the same thing, and neithe
Jointly nor severally can they affor,
to resent the obloquy their party OF
gan may see fit to heap on them in tn
advocacy of their cause.
The trouble with the Democratic a
dermen and the Democratic organ /
, that they are bent on exalting the bee
/. keg above everything else They hav
\ set it up as sort of fetish, and be
cau9e everybody else In the communit
!. will not bow down with them befor
o 1t they complain they are not treate
e fairly, They insist that Republca
q officials in particular shall prostrat
d themselves with equal willingness an
o alacrity as themselves. They eithe
d. forget or else wilfully disregard tn
fact that the beer key, which is so s.
n cred to them, is an outlaw in Keoku
;" made so by its own deliberate choit
or and conduct. This is true in parti
k ular as it is represented by the S
II looms closed for violation of law. The
y. have no rights under the law whie
anybody is bound to respect, for the
ID have wilfully put themselves outsit
y the protection of law Nor will Il
~ plea obtain that the owners of Il
70 buildings have rights which must
~ consulted in the premises. A perm
III nent injunction will lie against al