The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-09-09
IN DEFENSE
Of THE
AGENCIES

Mr. r u Heskett Chairman tlounty /
Central Committee, Caddo County 1
Anadarko. Okla
Sir Ia an open letter Published IN /
the AnadaFko Tribune. September a
You come out IN longwinded and !
for the greater part wholly untrue IL
rade against The Democrats and DEM |
ocratic party. ] have read msny effu-
sions OF this kind that have emanated |
from the minds of would-be Republic
an Moses 5ct for absolute imbecility
and utter disregard for veracity you
are certainly entitled to the nOnors.
Not desiring to impose upon the ed
ltor by asking for space to answer all
your raying, yet as worked for the
establishment for the agency system
and am now connected with the SAME,
feel that your untruthful and unjust
attack as given below should not be
allowed TO go unchallenged, You say
oklahoma is a splendid state; her
natural resources are unsurpassed;
her climate congenlal. True. she Is
new engaged in the saloon business,
but her redemption Is possible This
crime will haunt our posterl.y ike
the imaginary blood stains on the
hands OF a murderer. What a shame
that our boys and girls, wives and
mothers must wear this scarlet let
| ter when In fact they are innocent
and were powerless to prevert he
wrong. The dispensary of Oklahoma
is abominable In the extreme and was
created solely for political adylmIge
Mr.. Haskell has built dp a mqchiae
temporarily elevating himself but
ldamning his state and its people. II
/ Mr.. Haskell were patriot instead of
| a designing politician he would, m
order 10 redeem his state and her
people from this horrible disgrace say
and do as the peniient Greek.
"'let me be deemed the hatefpl
cause OF all,
And suffer rather than my people
fall
Let the people know about fhe dis
tpensary, its object and affect"
You say: oklahoma Is now en-.
gagged in the saloon business If
4 you had taken the trouble to read the
law, you would have learned that ~
state agency and local agencies are
established for the sale OF liquor for
medicinal and scientific purposes,
and for no others
let us compare the saloon with the
agency AS / remember the saloon
II was the resort Of our lowest strata
1f society, q place where the gambler.
The bleareyed drunken bloke ana the
lcriminal class generally congregated
20 drink. gamble and carouse; a place
where no decent woman would go nor
where a sell-respectlng man could en-
ter without feeling the blush Of
n shame, a dirty. filthy reeking biut
upon our boasted civilization
How about the agencies? DO You
find any of that tough element around
themg You would never know where
TO find one unless You were told aud
when you did find it you would find
lit IN a grocery store, drug store. china
store, law office or some private
residence. You would find IN charge
some GGd-learng prohibitionist man
or woman who would make you show
a prescription from some known rep
luiable physician and make YOU take
a solemn oath before your God thae
you wanted the liquor for medicinal
purposes before you could buy a dron.
ana ii they ever find ont that You
have sworn to a lie and bought it for
a beverage, they will help prosecute
you and they have got the law 10 do
H. Does that look Ike "A saloon busi-
ness to your
You say the "Dispensary OF Okla
homa is abominable In every way
Win You please be a little more ex.
lplicii2 Please tell as of just one fea-
ture of this law that is abominahle.
Tell as whore Il is wrong Tell rs
how YOU would do H. but don't, for
heavens sake deal in generalities
, You say THE dispensary is created
solely for political advantage. Mr.
, Haskell has built up machine
temporarily elevatlne himself, bui
damning his state and people Here
lMf, Hesketl Is where YOU reveal hov
little and contemplate you really are
p Here YOU let the public ger good
square look at your despicahle mo
: iives, ON account of your partisan
! hatred for Governor Haskell you tau,
5 seek io iiscgeds him by ylillfyini
2 this law TO injure him YOU wouit
! tear down this law that has the en-
! dorsement OF the Prohibition people
The Anu-Saloon league and such n
, diyiduals as Judge Chafin, nations
e Prohibition lecturer; LILLIAN Stevnes
e national president OF the ". c. n. u.
and hundreds of others 81 0Hr greai
est and best men and women: an,
l thus relnstate the saloon. for that {
what the repeal Of the agency Law
means And for this reason, you vii
find every saloon man. every gambleg
and every prostitute IN the siai'
READY TO grasp your hand and cell y1
brother. That you may know now