The Detroit times., 1909-03-27
LIQUOR TRAFFIC IS
COMPOSED Of LAW
v|0LAT0Rs
mn sAmUrL n. pIckIE.
MAYOR ROSE ANSWERS THAT
PROHIBITION INC r EAsE S
CRIME, INSANITY. DEATH AND
PAuPERlsM.
--DR. SAMUEL n. DickIE.

MILWAUKEE,. Wis. March 81
Mayor David s. Rose, OF Milwaukee,
and DIR. Samuel Dickie. president OF
Albion college, debated the liquor
question In the Hippodrome last night.
Mayor Rose took the negative OF the
subject. Resolved. That prohibition
as applied to the manufacture and
sale OF Intoxicating beverages Is
right" The hall. which seats 1000
persons, was crowded. There were
I'VE applications for every ticket. Per-
sons from many sections asked for
tickets, as this was the first OF three
debates, the second TO be given in
Chicago and the third In some south
ern city.
Mayor Rose. at convention held
recently In Louisville challenged the
prohibitionists to produce its best ora
tor TO meet him on the question de-
bated last night Mayor Rose is
known as an advocate OF sane regula-
ton of the saloon" There was no de
cision last night.
DIR. Dickie said:
1.-The prohibition OF the liquor traffic
IL right. IL considered only from the
economic standpoint. The saloon Is
the foe of capital. but pre-eminently
the enemy of labor. II paralyzes the
arm of the workingman, shortens his
life, excludes him from many lucra-
tive callings, decreases his power as
q producer and throws into the labor
market a vast mass OF debased and
intelligent laborers who compete dis
astrously with sober and industrious
workmen. No line of manufacture
gives employment to SO few men In
proportion to the capital invested as
does the liquor traffic.
The liquor business breeds Grimm.
ais. The testimony Of prison chap
lains. of wardens, sheriffs and judges
OF the criminal courts warrants the
assertion that from 80 to 80 per cent
of crime Is directly or Indirectly trace
able to the use Of intoxicating liquors.
''Not only is the liquor traffic a
breeder Of criminals, but 1t Is itself
largely composed OF men who do not
hesitate to violate the law. The
great majority Of retail liquor sellers
are open and notorious law breakers.
The restrictive features of the Wis
consin statutes as to selling on Sun
day and on legal holidays are openly.
shamefully and fiagrantly trampled un-
der foot
Prohibition is right because II has
been found to be the most efficient
method of restraint.
The friends of the liquor traffic
are such as to condemn 1t by their
own character and conduct. Conced-
ing that few men OF fair respecta-
bflity are its apologists. 1t neverthe-
less remains true that the lawless
classes, the thieves, the gamblers, the
thugs. the blacklegs. the outcasts. the
harlots, the low and vile and degraded
OF both sexes can be depended on to
the last man and the last woman to
stand with Milwaukee's mayor In OPP
posing prohibition and advocating the
saloon"
In arguing that prohibition Is
wrong. Mayor Rose treated the sub
Ject from three viewpoints, the Bibli-
cal. the ethical and the material. He
showed that while the evil existed
when the ten commandments were
written no attempt was made to inject
prohibition In the decalogue, and he
challenged anyone to find one word
IN the Bible advocating the theories
Of ,prohibitionists.
More Drunks In Maine.
Treating the subject from the ethi-
cal side. he took the census figures
of the government and records OF cit
les and states to prove that prohibi-
tion increased crime, insanity, deaths,