Willmar tribune., 1908-08-05
PROHIBITION PRESS BULLETIN.
by John A. Shields, Minneapolis

oOO WORDS ana deserves cOmneIlud-
tion for it's brevity. if for nothing
else. But there are good points in
the prohibition platform. 1t de-
clares, for example, for the popular
election of senator's, uniform mar
riage and divorce laws, and per-
manent tariff commission. These
are subjects touched upon by other
parties. The only original, exclu-
sive, blown-in-th -the-bottle, or rather
blown-out-of- the-bott]e plank is the
demand for the submission of a con-
stltutional amendment prohibiting
the manufacture, importation, ex-
portation or transportation of alco-
holic liquors for beverage purposes.
1t means nation without the
bottle. ltmeans that all the money
now employed in brewing, distill-
ing and transporting liquors would
he used otherwise. 1t means per-
feet revolution in the habits of our
citizens. It means the realization
OF a modified Utopia. Ever since
man emerged from barbarism he
has been the slave of the potent
principle in alcohol. Placed with
in his reach for benefcent purpose,
it has been abused to a violent eX-
tent by every nation that ever rose
to civilization. To liquor the
| downfall of more than one nation is
traced. Liquor drinking consumes
immense amounts of money, pro-
duces untold miseries and makes
unmeasured assaults upon the viril-
ity of nations. Yet men have chung
to it, and they have resisted every
effort to take the bottle from their
lips. State experiments in prohi-
bition have been made in America.
Some of them have succeeded,
others have been dismal failures,
bowling farces. Prohibition on q
more restricted scale has been tried
thru local option. The national
prohibition movement is not by any
means dead. National prohibition
is not nearly SO unlikely as aboli-
tion once seemed Minneapolis
Journal.
The Swedish United Sons OF
, America have followed the example
set by most of the other fraterna
orders, lodges and societies, by bar.
: ring liquor dealers from member.
ship in the future.
The prohibition referendum helc
in Texas July "a was voted down
This was not plebiscite, and was
, entirely different from the ordinary
referendum on the question. The
voting was entirely in the ranks oil
, the Democratic party. In that state
the law provides that before poll
tical party shalt take radical actor
on any question in its platform {
, referendum shall be held upon it
The Democrats only voted upo1
the question, and it was defeated
by a large majority; therefore, the
Democrats of Texas have definitely
settled the question Of getting pro
hibition thru their organization
The only political speaker who
: would dare to go to bed at night il
? a sleeper and get up in the morning
{ to make political speech without
, asking in what direction he mac
! been travelling, is Prohibitionist
I The Republican speech that would
be greeted with cheers in Illinoi:
? would be greeted with jeers ir
+ Kansas; the Democratic speech tina
! would arouse enthusiasm in Georgia
! would precipitate a riot in Mime
< sofa or New York. The Prohibi
. tion party represents the only issue
/ that is the same east, west, NORTH
e and south, that is universal in mu
: nlcipal, county, state and nationa
3 politics, and that commands thu
k sober attention of all the people al
the time everywhere.
The Anti-Saloon League 'Blu'
:, Book says: 1.-The solution of tn
liquor problem has waited upon tn
4 recognition of some vital PROPOSE
n tion as common ground and tn
9 discovery Of basis of union upo]
which the several independent, or
O ganized bodies committed to oppo
sition to the traffic may be feder
n ated.' Right! But the first NOV
toward any righteous union is dis
&c union with unrighteousness. Their
y is no possibility Of getting to
q gether on GOOD ground until thos
who would unite have gotten OF
BAD ground. "Come out fror
y among them and be ye separate
4 and touch not the unclean thing
! comes first; Il will receive you
, is dependent upon it.
The "Appeal to Reason" ha
!. offered the president three dollar