La Junta tribune., 1909-07-10
IA ,usrA 4 soozslsss CRY.
Saloons Ars ordsrss ciessd In Gem.
piianes With Recent oeeisisn u
Supreme Court.

La Junta is a dry town--now ant
forever more. A few minutes befor.
the noon hour on Thursday ever,
one Of the six saloons closed thei,
doors in compliance with an order Is
sued from the office Of District Al
torney Davidson. and La Junta ID
now a boozeless city for the frs,
time In her thirty-three years ex.
istence I, will probably remain SO
until Gabriel blows his last trump
Booze is In disrepute all over the
country. and 1t is surprising that a
progressive town like La Junta should
have delayed the process OF rexen.
Grafton as long as 1t has.
The death knell OF the saloon in
La Junta was sounded last Tuesday
| when a telegram was received In
this city announcing that the su.
preme cour, had rendered a decision
In the local option cases. deciding
every point al issue In favor Of the
drys Very few there were In La
Junta who were greatly surprised.
although there were equally few who
expected such a drastic and sweep
ing opinion as that rendered 1t Is
an evidence OF the fact that saloons
have few rights that courts are In.
clined 10 respect. not only In this
N.s- bat Ash seue. L.,
I the union. Courts everywhere re-
gard II as an undesirable and obnOI.
ious business and not to be favored
or encouraged only TO the extent that
1 the people themselves permit or OF
their own free will accord.
Last fall by a very decisive major.
| ity the people OF La Junta declared
themselves against the saloon, with
the exception OF one precinct. which
went wet by n majority OF thirty.
nine. AT the spring election In April
the people again registered them.
selves in favor OF anti-saloon terri.
ry by a majority OF seventy eight
These two elections on the sane
question was what caused all the
trouble. One precinct. In which all
the saloons were located. had voted
wet. and few months later the
whole town had voted dry The point
at issue was as to which political
subdivision. or unit. controlled. On
this point the decision OF the 81.
preme court says:
The law gives to each political
subdivision mentioned. small or large.
a chance to bespeak for such div.
sion. anti-ssloon territory. and 10
make OF every subdivision so speal
Ing anti-saloon territory throughout
its entire extent II the city or
town votes dry. then 1t becomes anti
saloon territory throughout it, en-
tire extent and Is the sovereign or
controlling unit The dry precinct.
the dry ward. the dry town or The
dry city controls. whichever votes
10 be anti-saloon territory. There
can be no wet precinct in a dry ward.
or town. or city. because the statute
provides that when any political sub
division. which is entitled TO vote ON
the question. declares for anti-saloon
territory. Il becomes so throu shout
its entire extent"
When the supreme court decision
appeared In the Tuesday morning
papers the district attorneys office
was asked what Vas going TO b. done
about II. and later In the day /, was
announced that District Attorney Ia.
bison had issued his ukase ordering
the saloons 10 close nj midnl sht
The saloons closed at midni yhtas
isual. tut on the morning after h.
nj ;ht before. opened again. as usual.
I Inquiry developed the fact tina, he
saloon men had received permission
I frSm Distrigt Attorney Davidson to
remain open until further orders-
until he had time TO peruse and a
sorb the decision OF the supf me
court A. the ABSORPTION process
nigh, require considerable time. he
AntiSaloon League Immediately got
busy and committee visited all The
saloons In town for the purposs Of
securing evidence A bottle OF booze
was secured at each saloon. but tc.
fore the committe. had time 10 use
any OF the evidence Distric, Attor.
n.y Davidson ordered the sherltrs
office TO close every saloon In town.
This pleasant duty dcyoi,ed upon
the er'villase policeman. who cx.
.cu,ed the order with nea,ness and
despatch. and 30 effectively that
every thirst parlor In the burg had
the lid on within thirty minutes after
the order Mas received. Tn. saloons