The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-02-23
|EF|ANcE OF LAW
by SALOONS HAS
AROUSED PUBLIC
INFLUENCE OF LIQUOR INTER
EsTs IN ELECTIONS is GROW
ING MORE eALEFuL, SAYS Ed
iToR eLAckMAN.

HILLSDALE, Mich, Feb. 23-Hiram
q. Blackman, editor OF the Hillsdale
4 Herald-Democrat, In an article In his
. Newspaper. regarding the prohibition
wave that is sweeping the country,
says the attitude OF corporations ana
y Of business men generally toward the
men who indulge in intoxicants is one
element OF importance in creating
public intolerance OF excess; the fire.
: quent and brazen defiance OF law and
decency on the part OF the saloon men,
y the keen competition In their business
which has carried them 10 every ex-
\ treme In order 10 I'LL their tills Is
another"
Mr.. Blackman says:
Twice since the return 10 the
license the question has been submit
tee in this county, and on both occa-
sicns local option was defeated.
'In neither OF these campaigns did
this paper take an active partisanship
Tho last time particularly were We
entirely Indifferent as 10 the outcome
We had no enthusiasm for the saloon
business and its manifold and acknowl-
edged evils, and We had but little hope
OF conditions being any better under
local prohibition, Judging from former
experience We had little 10 say
editorially. We permitted the use OF
our columns to both sides under exact
" similar restrictions and conditions.
But this time We have decided To
admit matter from neither side. We
shall express our own opinions ana
our own convictions. And these have
undergone some modification.
Revision In Public Mind.
"A remarkable revulsion In the pub
lie mind is sweeping the country.
State after state is passing prohibition
laws, and about ninety per cent OF
counties where local option is submit
ted are carrying IL affirmatively. There
seems to be something more than tenn
porary emotionalism behind this
phenomenon. While this wave" so
called will perhaps recede again TO a
certain extent and some counties and
possibly some states may return for
Z time TO high license after trying
prohibition, yet there is more sue
stance behind the movement now than
ever before. The attitude OF corpora
tons and OF business men generally to-
ward the men who indulge in intoxi-
cants-a position which has been
forced upon them by experience. and
sometimes costly and bitter experience
at that's one element OF Importance
In creating public intolerance OF ex-
cess. The frequent and brazen de-
fiance of law and decency on the part
OF saloon men, the keen competition
in their business which has carried
them to every extreme In order 10 NIL
their tills, is another. The increasing
prominence of the breweries as saloon
proprietors. and their arbitrary and
disgusting methods OF securing trade,
IL still another factor In the equation
which is working against the saloons,
especially in the larger cities.
'"rheir influence in elections is grow
ing mere and more baleful and injuri-
Gus in the large centers of population.
Affecting not only matters OF local I'M
portance In those localities but having
a vital influence sometimes upon
whole state. Witness the heavy ma
1orities given In thel liquor wards OF
Detroit last fall, multiplying the sober
judgment and conscientious citizen
ship OF other portions OF the state.
~There are some saloon men who
carefully obey the statutes and who
are law abiding citizens. There are
others who are not law abiding. In
Hillsdale and Hillsdale county We
have had both kinds. And from the
nature OF their business, and the habit
in the public mind of associating all
saloon men together In one class. just
~ all grocers and all draymen AMI
most printers are associated in classes
by themselves, the law abiding saloon
men are going TO suffer for the In
iuuities OF their careless brethren 10
the business. Therefore when IL be-
comes unlawful, as It undoubtedly will
become after the first OF next May, 10
sell all liquor publicly as a beverage
in Hillsdale and many other counties
Of Michigan, II will be said with truth
that the saloon men have only them
selves to blame for the inhibition or
their trade
viii Vote for Local Option.
MANY men, strangely enough, who
are fond OF beer or liquor are recogniL-
ing frankly nowadays that no ulu-
mate good comes from its use; almost
Invariably harm Is the result. Scores
OF men In Hillsdale city who are not
teetotalers will vote this spring for
local option, because they think that
Tor the general welfare the liquod bust
ness had better be limited just as far
ps possible, though no man in his
senses will contend for a moment that
LIQUOR will not be sold or consumed
20 some extent In Hillsdale county.
The belief that there will be a sub
stantial Improvement in conditions
will be sufficient TO enlist their supt
port.
"An argument that will be used
against local option is that OF the loss
of revenue. This argument has no
force, and is totally unworthy OF con-
sideration. We have always main
tanned that II prohibition can be made
10 emeliorate the evil work OF intern
peratc use OF intoxicants. even II the
betterment should be but slight, then
the element of a possibly slightly in
creased tax rate levied on the whole