Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-02-19
JESSE KNIGHT GIVES
VIEW ON PROHIBITION
Declares lie Hopes Legislature WIN
Not shirk It's Duty In Oh.
lltcrating Evil.

The "News" received the following
communication from Jessie knight at
Provo this afternoon:
Editor "News'-Uncle Jossie's view
on prohibition from a business stand
point
do not see how any business man
can favor saloons. II has been my
observation that many a business man
has gone broke on account Of trusting
the laboring man who patronizcs
saloons Naturally, the merchant has
TO charge more FOR his goods TO make
up for the loss through trusting men
who drink whisky, and from a busin-
ess standpoint. it has been a mystery
To me how any one In business could
favor the saloon business in any shape
or form. As for my views OF IT, they
are like some others: ] fail 20 see but
one side To- the question when 10 comes
20 right or wrong. of the good Of tho
community, or from any other stand
point have never heard anyone
advocate I'm any Instance whore 10
uplifted anyone ia any way; and. on
the other hand, we hear that nearly,
we'll say IIne-tenths OF all the de-
graduiOn and crimes Of record are
brought ON boy tampering with in
toNicauts Then, from a moral or
sympathetic standpoint. ] fail 10 see
how any man can favor seeing women
over the washtub, struggling 10 pay
debts that are contracted by drunken
husbands. Nor can 1 see how any
faher or mother could feel that the
saloon business is legitimate business.
10 must be that I am blind TO the
interests OF the town, the city OF state,
or else some others who claim TO be
business men are blind from some 9TH
or cause.
Now for my part, over since the
campaign started last fall ] have felt
badly and jealous because our Demo
cratic party did not make prohibition
an issue IN our state platform. IL
seemed TO me then. as Il seems 20 me
now. that 10 was the surest road for
Democracy to have gotten a foothold
I'm Utah that they have had for many
a day Therefore. 1 feel Jealous
most envious-of the opportunity that
the Republican law makers have today
to take that great honor TO their party
Of having 20 said iu years To come that
they are the ones who established pro-
hibition In the state or Utah; and, 10
the party that IS I'm power. does this,
IL will certainly rebound TO their cred
it through an future generations
When the Republican party len out
prohibition On their platform, Rev
Fuller. our prohibition leader in Utah,
told mo that now is the time for the
Democrats 10 put in statewide pro-
hibition in theirs, For said he, "I
have Travelled all over the state and
know the common people everywhere
want prohibition. and IN the Democrats
party will put that In their platform
as an issue. YOU can carry the state
believed him then, and ] believe him
now. and while ] would have liked very
much for our party 60 have had the
honor Of passing a prohibition law in
Utah, yet / win do away with my
selhshness, and say or DO whatever T
can to give the Republican party the
honor and credit Of euacting that law.
I have said from the beginning OF this
agitation on prohibition, that the Re-
publican party would surely pass a
prohibition law.and / have not changed
my mind. ] still think they viii do
30. IL may be possible that some Of
our leading mspubhcans did wrong
and got on the track before election,
but 70 Is never too late to repent, and
1 believe that, II there Is any such in
either house they will turn states evil
dence as quickly as possible; and IN
they do we win forgive them and see
that they are not prosecuted on 0ccount
OF A. JESSE KNIGHT.
Provo. FEB 10, 1909