Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-10-07

so THEY ARE TOLD BY ONE OF
THEIR OWN LEADERS
LAWS OF THE PEOPLE MUST BE
oREYED, IS THE ORDER

Today the National Model License
league, an organization of distillers,
brewers, wine makers, wholesalers
and retailers, will begin the distribu-
ton of an address to the saloon keep
ers of the United States. An attempt
will be made 10 place the address in
the hands of every retailer. 1t is
written by T. NJ. Gilmore, president
of the league Every retailer is called
on to obey the law and to meet the
will of the people. Attention is called
to the fact that the people are op-
posed to the lawless saloon and to
the evils which have been connected
to a greater or less extent with the
sale of alcoholic beverages. Saloon
keepers are warned that they must
either respect public sentiment and
obey the law, or lose their legal right
to do business. The address is as
follows:
THE prohibition wave that was
sweeping over the country would
seem to be on the wane but the. pro-
test on the part of the people against
the lawless saloon, the dive and the
gambling resort is not subsiding.
The people are demanding and
properly that their laws shall be
obeyed Society is moving forward
ood tbx oaIoop ,n,1ct NOVA forward ar
be outlawed. The edict has gone forth
that men must be sober if they would
be free and few men will now contend
that man possesses an inherent
right TO overthrow his reason.
The edict has gone forth that sa-
looms must obey all laws-that they
must not sell to intoxicated men, nor to
habitual drunkards, nor to minors
that they must not exhibit improper
pictures, nor connect themselves with
gambling resorts-in a word that the
saloon must not be a nuisance. The
press of the country has SO declared
the ministers have SO declared; the
law and order leagues have so de-
clared; the great conservative ele-
ment in society has so declared
These forces for good are all power
full in society and our trade cannot
afford to oppose hem 1t would be
foolish for us to oppose them even !
though we could do so successfully,
because the demands they are max
ing are our demands Our trade needs
a house cleaning and we should
aid the good work along. The saloon
that is run in violation of the law or
of decency should be put out of bust
ness and the better element In the
trade should continue TO lead in the
reform. A saloon should be a decent
resort: it should be the working
mans club; it should inculcate real
temperance; it should give thought,
FIRST of all. TO the welfare of its pat
rons: it should consider the home,
the wife and the children; it should
seek to elevate and not degrade those
who visit it. and if it is run in viola
ton of law it's license should be can
celled. Gould such conditions do
harm TO the business? Is it unprofit-
able to be decent; to be law abiding;
to be kind; to do unto others as you
would have them do unto you? We
think that all of this would pay-and
it would relieve the business of odium
and it would permit prohibition to
die happy and peaceful death.
; Il do not write this letter through
any fear of prohibition. because an
experience of more than half cent /,
ury tells us that prohibition will not
prohibit, and common sense tells US
that prohibition will not prohibit and
the statistics of the internal revenue
department show conclusively that
prohibition does not prohibit, but |
write because | think the saloon is
liable to be superseded by unlawful
sellers of alcoholic beverages, as is
the case now in all prohibition terri
tory. and because | think the saloon
can be and should be desirable and
not an undesirable factor in society.
I write il because | think the press
is right. because I think the law and
order leagues are right, because
think the great conservative element
the Bible teaches are right, because.
think the great conservative element
in society is right | write it because
I know that the larger majority of sa-
loon keepers want to obey the laws;
want TO see their business elevated;
want 10 bid the drunkard an eternal
farewell. and it is my hope that in
the not distant future every saloon
keeper who favors law, order. decency
and temperance viii join the National
Model License league and will stand
as we stand with the real forces OF
reform and fully abreast of the most
advanced public sentiment.