The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-04-30
FATE OF BEER WATTS
UPON VOTE IN MISSOURI SENATE
DEPENDS EXISTENCE.

|
the DrunkaTd in the Slums Used
as an Argument; Breweries of
| Fame in the Fuss.
ST. Louis, Mo-, April 26.-Upon the
vote in the senate of Missouri to be
taken Wednesday depends in large
measure the fate of $9,500,O00 invested
in brewery buildings and machinery
and the future of $l2.000,000 addi
! tional capital invested by eight st.
Louis breweries and brewers in beer
gardens and other brewery adjuncts.
Added to this is an investment of
$4O,000,000 by keepers of saloons
throughout the state, the major part
of the investments being located in
Kansas City and st. Louis.
Thus it may be said that SCI 100000
invested capital totters on the brink
of annihiiation with the prohibition
amendment to the constitution of Mis-
souri, pending before the senate, it hav,
ing already passed the house of rep
resentatives.
True, the adoption of the measure
by the senate would have the effect
alone of submitting to the people the
question of making complete prohibi
ton a part of the organic law of the
state Even the strong fighters against
prohibition in Missouri, however, admit
that the amendment, going to the peo-
pie indored by the legislature, is as
good as adopted the day it is sub
mitted.
Great Industry at Stake.
Outsiders read of Missouri and her
prohibition question and pass it lightly.
by, placing Missouri in the same cate
CORY with Tennessee, Kansas, North
Dakota, Maine and other states which
have declared for prohibition.
In no other state, however, does the
issue present such an aspect as in
! Missouri. Milwaukee is the only city
of the country which rivals the city
of st. Louis in the brewery industry.
The largest brewery in the world is
located in the Missouri metropolis.
Two of the breweries have world.
wide fame as producers of their respec
tive brands of beer. The mighty in.
dustry has grown to be an essential
part of business life, and so suddenly
did the prohibition sentiment sweep
the state that the breweries had no
time to prepare plans for evacuation.
Some think in the event of Mis-
souri, prohibition they would move
across the river to East st. Louis, H.,
and there continue the industry. In
Illinois, however, there is dry senti-
ment and a few years might again
leave the breweries stranded.
The campaign now drawing to a
close has been bitter one. The pro-
hibition forces have been well gener-
aled. The most effective argument ever
made before a legislature for prohi-
bition has been made at Jefferson City.
A pamphlet was widely distributed
on one page was panoramic view of
the Adolphus Busch estate at Pasa,
dena, one of the most magnificent
estates in the world. On the oppo-
site page appeared photograph of
the drunkard's home. Under each was
the appropriate descriptive line, THE
Makers Home" and THE Consumers
Home
Unbelievers in prohibition scoffed at
the pamphlet, but there was something
in the simplicity of the forceful illus
tration that appealed, and it made
votes for the drys. The argument was
unfair, perhaps, because extreme types
oh
a hard argument to get away from.
Sitting on Their Necks.
Now the business interests of Mis-
souri, are virtually sitting on the necks
of legislators in the senate and talk
ing about those millions of money in
vested in brewery stocks. Mothers and
prohibition extremists are camping on
the trail telling of human woe and
suffering and they have the pictures
and the concrete eases.
Here is exhibited the picture of the
broken hearted mother grieving for her
son who was hanged for numbering a
man to get money for drink. Every
one knows the ease, knows that the
picture is true. Here is exhibited the
picture III tHlS VI lndJ woe aIITlD-
uted to drink
What will the senate do? This is
the question of the nour in Missouri.
The one best guess is that the SEN
ate will pass the amendment and all
energies are devoted to getting tax
rider affixed which will i'm effect kill
the bill. The country legislators dare
not vote against the amendment but
they can vote for it in such shape as
to insure later defeat in the house
or at the polls. None could then ac
cnse them of voting. against the bill.
Prohibition may. not come to Mis-
souri, and the millions invested in
breweries may not be open on appl
cation to other cities, but it will be
closer than Saturday night at midnight
is to the beginning of Sunday.
Mr.. Hanson Is Promoted.
H. A. Hanson. cashier of the Ameri-