Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-03-27
LECTURE AGAINST
PROHIBITION MOVE
DELIVERED LAST EVENING BY
j. NJ. WILLEM.
milwaukee Man Represents the
Wisconsin Liberty League
Shows His Side From a Com
merCidl Standpoint in the Event
Of Prohibition,

merCIdl Standpoint in the Event
OF Prohibition,
j. M. WilIem of Milwaukee, mana
ger OF the Bishop & BabcocK company.
delivered lecture IN the city building
last evening anent what he termed the
fanatical temperance movement which
appears to be sweeping the country at
the present time. The gentleman ap-
peared as representative of the Wis
consIn Liberty League, composed of
members who profess to take a stand
against the rigid prohibition move
ment now going on, doing So solely,
as the speaker argued, from COM
merclal view point. He declared that
the League members are striving for
their personal liberty-libertles as
sured them in the constitution of our
country. The principal object of the
speaker Was to picture out before his
hearers what would betall the nation
in the way Of business depression and
stagnatlOn, were the prohibition ideas
put in force and institutions represent
ting $1,000, 600. 600 put cut of business
and Z 1000, 600 people forced to idleness.
Mr.. Willem, IN the course of his
remarks, stated that the work which
is being carried OH against the prohib-
itlon movement, was done voluntarily
and that none Of the speakers were so
fortunate as to receive compensation
OF $3.50 night for single address
as was the case with the opposition,
which he showed up as a graft
The following is the platform IF the
Wisconsin Liberty League and tells
what it stands for:
The Wisconsin Liberty League is
an organization. the object of which
IS to promote the fullest personal Ii
berty consistent with the observance
of law and good morals. II does not
believe in sumptuary, paternaIistic
or hlbltory laws of any kind. 1t
does believe in the reasonable proper
regulation of al classes of trades,
professions or business insofar as such
regulation may be necessary for the
protection of the general public.
During the past two or three
years wave of destruction has BEEN
spreading over the United States, the
policy of which is to tear down, de-
stFoy and obliterate. This policy is
oct consistent with business principles,
which the growth of public enterprise,
the expansion of communities or the
development of individuality and NOR
al conviction. The tendency of pro
hibitory laws is to make men deceit
full, make them search after that in
the dark which, without such laws,
they could obtain in the fullest of
light; to promote "speak- easies, !"
"blind pigs and other like objection
able spots in communities, to destroy
the self-respect of the citizen, is pro-
motive of bad morals and is generally
degrading to the citizen and the COM
munity
"The Wisconsin Libprty League
does not believe ia the fostering of
this character Of places or the incul-
eating of this characteristic into hu-
man life, but wants the citizen to go
IN the open and procure that which he
may desire freely and above board in
conformity with the law. If obJec-
tionable places exist, they should be
abated. If incompetent men are Ii
ceDsed, their licenses should be re-
voked and never again renewed.
"The Wisconsin Liberty League
believes that local authorities should
take upon themselves the responsible
ty of the guardianship of their locali-
ties and see to it that the law is pro-
perly inforced, and not endeavor to
SHIFT such responsibility by asking the
resident Of some other community to
determine for them what their citizens
shall eat or drink and when and where.
1.-The League urges all persons who
believe that the individual should as
sumo the responsibility of citizenship
himself and who believes in according
to bis neighbor the same rights and
liberties that he himself desires or OBJ
tains, TO join with the League in per-
petuatIng these rights