Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-04
The Truth About Champaign
[BY PRESS COMMITTEE OF THE

ANTI PROHIBITION LEAGUE1
A great deal of use has been made
by the prohibitionsts of their allega-
ton that the town of Champaign, ILL.,,
had been benefited in business way,
instead of injured, by prohibition or
local option, as it is called. In fact
the Anti-Saloon league has been work
ing this alleged instance at Cham
paign so strongly that it saw fit to
get out a booklet on the subject and
scatter It all over the state. The book
let declared Champaign business men
Were happy over increased business
because of prohibition, and one bank
was declared TO be especially joyful.
A reputable young Rock Island bus
mess man who is not connected, di-
, rectly or indirectly, with the liquor
business was in Champaign the other
day and armed with a copy of the
lAnti-Saloon leagues booklet. proceed
: ed to interview all the business men.
He asked the bank quoted by the
league about the truth of the quota
I ton and receiver the following an
Swer:
Never made published statement,
statement untrue. Best months of bus
hess were prior to the abolition of sa-
| looms"
Among the firms interviewed by the
energetic Rock Islander in search of
! the truth were the following:
l.. K. House & Co., Miller & Co,
illinois hotel, Champaign Concrete
company, w. H. Miller, McGurty liv-
/ cry, Walsh, the plumber, Ross meat
market, Monroe & Kuesick, Terwilli-
ger Hardware company, George F.
Richter( said to be retiring because
he can get no location. There are,
however, II vacant business houses)
Stern Brothers. Faust restaurant, First
National bank, Joe Stern, Bettendorf
& Killer. Weustman, Mayor Blame ire
fused to answer without advice of
counseD Beardsley hotel, Joseph Kuhn,
Trucker the druggist, Thornhill restau,
rant, Blaisdell Brothers. Faulkner the
druggist, Mauer the jeweler, Grand
restaurant, Irwin the tailor, McFadden
the grocer.
4 All the other business men of Cham
lpaign were interviewed and space for
bids publication of their names Among
all the Champaign business men Onl!
two We're found, RObison'S Depart
|ment store and Gulick Tailoring com
: pany who said that business was bet
/; ter without saloons. Mr.. Gulick is
leader in the prohibitionist movement
| The Terwilliger Hardware compan.
owned by prohibitionists reported tina
| business had been greatly injured.
One jeweler said "the town is
,, joke" and another declared that h.
favored saloons, first, last and all tn
time, and that the town was worse il
every way since their abolition.
= A wholesale grocery said the re
T Imoval of saloons is detriment to bus
I mess, and house engaged in the whole
sailing and retailing of carriages an
n harness asserted that there had bee
5 injury to business, since farmers d
: not come 10 town to trade"
v One hotel said business was bette
:, with saloons and another that it ha
!. lost its best class of trade
y Real estate men reported that Their
p were 263 vacant dwellings and II V;
h cant business houses, while one yea
o ago it was impossible to find hous,
y and that house rents had decrease
N from SIS to so and from $12 to 81.
A concrete company said work wa
u slack, because the city lacked fund
y and could not pay its share of the co.
of sidewalks.
A farm implement dealer said "fa
mers don't come to town.
A meat market reported a loss
70 $25 day and laundry $50 week.
Clothiers and tailors all said bus
&c ness was worse and one tailor declare
10 he had lost his best trade.
IN Restaurants agreed that busine.
ar had fallen off from % to so per cen
One said farmers did not come
town any more.
= J. p. McCarty, president of Loo