Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-11-11
W. c. T. U PRINCIPLES:
The Liquor Dealers Boomerang
Boast.

that the liquor dealers of the
United States had within the past
two years defeated such men as
Governor Hoke Smith of Georgia,
for denomination, Governor Beck
ham of Kentucky, for the U. S.
Senate, Ex-senator Carmaek of
Tennessee, for Governor, Harris
OF Ohio and Watson of Indiana,
for Governor, Folk of Missouri for
the U. S. Senate, Hepburn of Iowa
for Congress, together with a long
list of other candidates for vari-
Gus offices in the state and nation.
This boast was made much in
the spirit of the bully, who hav-
ing thrashed his landlord because
he presumed to ask for his rent,
swaggers up and down the street
shouting, "If any other creditors
have bills to present let them come
on" 1t was an announcement to
every candidate for Office high or
low hal if he wishes to be elected
he must first make himself solid
with the spigot twisters of the
brewery and saloon.
This boast was a challenge to
all upright, honorable statesmen
to take issue if they dare with the
most corrupting, degrading, paup-
erizing agency among men. 1t
was a shout of defiance to the
moral forces of society, a declara-
ton of war against good govern
ment, against the peace and pros
perity of the people, a bold state
ment that the liquor men are in
politics to perpetuate the evils of
their own traffic regardless of
everything and everybody else.
Nor can it be denied that there
is truth in the boast they made.
The liquor interests of Ohio did
combine against Harris, and Mis-
souri, against Folk who openly
said he would rather go down to
defeat than be dependent upon
them for his nomination. Sena-
tor Rose of Ohio who fathered the
county unit law and Judge Altman
of Indiana who declared the
licensing of saloons illegal, both
had matched against them all the
power of the organized liquor in
terests of the whole country.
The liquor men have no party
utilization but that of their trade
and whoever fails to support that
is marked for slaughter.
Thus they have been able by this
combined and centralized force to
defeat numerous more desirable
candidates. They WELD great in
tluence and contract many votes.
So intense is their hatred of men
who stand for the highest good,
and so INSCRIPTIONS are the means
to which they resort to compass
their defeat, that wabbly candi-
dates naturally get over on their
side of the question. Trimming
politicians play into their hands
and fear to encounter their oppo-
sition.
But this boast instead of cowing
the public spirit and causing can
didates for Office to cringe before
the liqour demagogues is sure to
have the opposite effect and prove
the confusion of the very parties
making it.
The American spirit which when
only 100000 0 strong dared fight
Great Britain for the sake of a
principle, aud which when go, 000,-
600 strong fought through a civil
war to maintain that same prin-
ciple, is not going to surrender or
to be overcome by a rank host of
blear-eyed, big bellied guzzlers of
wet goods who have no am bition
but to pander to their own appe-
tites or crafty their own greed
for gain.
The moral purpose of the Amer
lean voter is increasing in strength
all the time. 1t is already domi-
nant in large circles, and is stead
lily becoming more So. The day
Is fast passing when the voter can
be terrorized by any such threat
as that contained In the boast of
the Illinois liquor dealers. In a
rapidly increasing ratio too, the
voters knowing that the liquor
men are In politics with the de-
termination to rule, are quietly
combining against them SO that
candidates for Office, discerning
the signs Of the times, are perceiv
ing that those who stand for
human good are more than those
who combine for human i'll. II
Harris was defeated last year by
the liquor men 1t lis equally true
that Herrick, their especial can-
didate was defeated two years