Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-09-24

1t is true to a certain extent that the
successful enforcement of the law de-
ponds upon public sentiment. Twenty
years ago, or even ten years ago, it
would have been very difficult to have
closed the saloons in the great cities on
Sunday. They are closed today, and
ought to be kept closed, and if | am
elected Governor, they will be.
| believe in a strict regulation of the
liquor traffic, and the laws regulating
the saloon ought to be strictly enforced.
The states that have made decided
progress along temperance lines have
not been the prohibition states like
Kansas and Maine, but the local OPP
ton states like Texas, Mississippi, Ten
nessee and Missouri.
The present local option law has
worked very satisfactorily in Mis-
souri,. 1t is a Democratic law, passed
by a Democratic Legislature, signed
by a Democratic Governor, and it fol-
lows Democratic principles. 1t gives to
the local community the right to regu-
late its own affairs. If the majority
c. the voters of that community desire
prohibition, they can have it, and if the
majority desire the licensed saloon,
they can have that, but no community
can force its own views up n another.
This is good Democratic doctrine"
WHAT HADLEY AND DIcKEY SAY.
A few months later, in an open let
ter to Mr.. w. S. Dickey, published
May 18th, 1908, in the Kansas City
Journal, Mr.. Hadley likewise defined
his position, a part of which | quote:
81 am not in favor of statewide
prohibition. | do not believe the cause
Of temperance or good government
would be subserved by the adoption
of such an amendment in this State"
He then declares for local option,
and concludes:
81 also believe that the laws regu-
lating dramshops and the sale of in
toxicating liquors should be vigor-
ously and strictly enforced"
Mr., Hadley does not specifically en-
dorse Sunday closing of the saloons,
but he does say the laws regulating
the dramshop should be vigorously
and strictly enforced"
DOUBLE DEALING PLATFORM.
After these announcements, and
after the men making them had be-
come the nominees of their respec-
tive parties, we had a right to believe
that this question had been removed
from the realm of political dispute.
But now comes the Republican plat
form with its home rule plank, de-
liberately giving to the city the right
to annul the power of the State. If
those desiring the open saloon on
Sunday can by uniting with either of
the great political parties elect a
board of police commissioners and
an excise commissioner favorable to
their view, then these officers may
disregard violations of that law, and
the Governor of the State would be
practically powerless to enforce it.
WHERE DOES HADLEY STAND?
We have today a similar situation
in St. Louis county. Here local Re-
publican officials are charged with
having refused to enforce the law, and
at the command of the Governor the
Attorney-G General is endeavoring to
have the courts perform the duty of
the local c~onstabulary. This Repub-
lican platform is a deliberate piece of
double dealing, promising in one
plank to the people of the country
that the saloons shall be closed, and
in the next promising the people of
the city they may keep them open,
| demand of Mr.. Hadley that he
either repudiate his home rule plank
or admit to the people of the State
he does not propose to enforce the
law as to the closing of the saloon
on Sunday. Is it possible that since
the published interview to which
have referred Mr.. Hadley's senti-
ments have changed, or were his
views modified to meet the wishes
of Mr.. Otto Stiefel, a prominent St.
Louis brewer, and Mr.. Charles Nagel,
the national Republican committee
man, general counsel for the greatest
brewery in the State, whom we are
told by the press helped to shape the
issues for this campaign?
Like the platform of their party in
the nation, the platform of the re-
publican party in the State is as no.
ticeable for the things it omits as the
things it includes. They denounce
the Senatorial primary law, but fail
to announce they favor any plan Civ
ing to the people the right to elect
their Senators by direct vote. Under
this Senatorial primary law, democ-
racy has given to the people as near
ly as it may be done under the pres
ent Constitution Of the United States,
a direct vote for the election of a
Senator, and we favor such change
in the Constitution as will give this
privilege to the people,
NO MORE OF LOOTED SCHOOL FUND
The Republicans n~oSlonger raise the
cry of a looted school fund or bogus
school certificates. After four years
possession of the books, they have
been compelled, to admit that charge
was false and libelous, and by their
silence they now confess that of the
more than $Ioo,ooo,ooo.oo of State
funds which have passed through
Democratic hands since 1873 not a
single dollar was ever lost to the
treasury of the State. Were they
candid with the public, they would
admit the school certificate is as good
as the bond of the United States, and
that it yearly yields to the school
fund three times as much in interest
as would be received were those funds
now invested in accordance with for