Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-05-18
LOCAL OPTION PLOT.
Says T.. Ward---Prohibition Does
Not Help Moralties, He Writes
Pleads for Saloon Workers.

Editor Journal: The Rev. j. X.
Knodell of Portland. one of the
many salaried superintendent" of
the Anti-Saloon League, stated the
other day that the local option cleo
tions this year were only preliminary
skirmishes. He said that the real
idea was to obtain prohibition for
the entire state OF oregon In 1910,
two years from now. That let's the
cat out of the. bag.
The people were assured four
years ago that the local option law
was merely intended to protect resi-
denee districts against the encroach-
ment of the saloon. -4
I'VE are not prohibitionists,' -
cried the supporters Of the bill.
I'VE are only local optionists." To
those who claimed that the local op-
ton law was merely prohibition In
disguise. It's supporters presented
an unbroken front. When taxed with
the fact that their law was unfair
they replied by asking the public to
read II. As the law was 2S pages in
length the public would not bother
Itself by making more careful In
vestigation.
When they were confronted with
the fact that states and communities
which adopted prohibition grew poor
and lean, they said IL was not so.
| When they were shown that the
United States census proved that
only three states in the Union ever
decreased in population, and that
two of them were prohibition states,
they said do not worry. This Is
only local option. law. We are not
In favor of prohibition" o.
When this same crowd OF salaried
agltators was asked II taxes were
not generally higher in prohibition
communities than In communities
which handled the liquor business
under the license system, they we're
quick to answer, at IL not so, but
even II II were, II does not matter,
for this is local option, not prohi-
bitlon."
And now the cat Is out OF the bag
They are not local optionists. They
are prohibltionists after all. The
opponents OF the local option law
were light. II really was prohibition
In disguise. And the scheme of the
smart attorneys, lecturers and ora
tors, who make fat living out oi
this prohibition agitation. Is quite
plain. The scheme Is TO start IN
quietly; TO hold elections In pre-
clncts In which there are no saloons
never we're any saloons. and prob
ably never would be any saloons
Such precincts being frightened witt
the absurd question, "Do you wan
saloon next your h?me?" were
3 easily put In the dry column. Thei
by adding each year to the dry terri
tory acquired in this way, they hav
/ finally reached the state of AFRO
= gance In which they have throw
e aside the mask and boldly declare'
= for state prohibition two years fror
y now. Voters have been fooled wit
$ this kind OF fraudulent election lon
q enough.
n Prohibition accomplishes nothin
: for real temperance or for moralit,
!, Bankruptcy does follow prohibitio
g and the United States census report
i prove this beyond doubt. Here an
: there a prohibition orator may fin
d a prohibition town or small commui
e lty which has been fairly prosperot
& even In spite OF prohibition. Thei
q are exceptions TO all rules, but go'
Crnment figures, which do not III
i prove that prohibition is not only
q mark of a stagnant community, bl
y Is a blight TO a prosperous one.
r Prohibition IN oregon won
cause 25O0 buildings 10 become "
cant and would throw ont OF emplo
ment 5000 meh and deprive 400
d families OF their livelihood. Where
the prosperity I'm this?
Remember vote for local opti'
now Is a vote for prohibition In 1871
p II. WARD.