Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-04-02

state prohibition as against county OPP
ton and in the last analysis would be
an argument for national prohibition as
against state prohibition.
Knows People Of Dodge.
He said he held no brief for the brew
ers aud no brief for the saloon. but fel.
that he was representing the sentimen.
Of the people III his district when he OPP
posed county option.
Senator Gaylord took several minutes
III which to reply TO Senator Brown )
criticism Of his statement about social
centers and during the course Of his
remarks he reiterated 4 part of the
argument he had given at the morning
session.
Senator Marsh made the closing speech
Tor the county option forces When he
rose TO speak there was loud and pro
longed applause from the galleries. He
said that the contest was not between
county option and the Social Democrats
that the real question was not whether
the passage Of this bill would close a
single saloon but rather whether the
people of each county should have the
right to vote Oh the question Of sa-
looms or no salnons. He held that
even il senator felt that saloons should
be licensed in his own county, that
was no reason why he should oppose this
bill, as the proposed measure only gave
an opportunity for a majority Of the
people in Il county to decide whether
Or no. they wanted saloons.
Give People a Chance
IF man thinks that good would
come from the presence Of saloons III
his county, then he should vote for
saloons. If he thinks harm would come,
then he should vote against it; but
h. liz +I,f of his
ty the right to express their opinion as
he would express his.
There is a reason why this vote
should stop at the county line. When Il
town or village votes no license, there
is Immediately a line of saloons around
the outskirts o. that territory. The
sheriff and district attorney of counties
are charged with the enforcement OF
the laws. When the county votes dry,
then public opinion would elect county
officials who would see to it that the
law was enforced. When towns and
villages go dry in counties where Il ma
Jority of the towns are wet. we ire
quently find public officials who should
enforce the law, who are very lax.
Answers Limit Argument.
"Thc county is the unit of expense.
In the hearing before the committee
on state affairs. it was stated by one
of the opponents Of this bill that the
town. village and municipality were
the taxing units. which | admit. But
| let us see how this operated. The city
of Madison gets all the license fees
from the saloons inside the city limits,
but when n crime is prosecuted the
expense of that prosecution is paid out
of the county treasury and Stoughton
! Mount Horeb and every other town,
village and city in Dane county pays a
part of the expense"
In reply to Senator Gaylord's state
ment that the saloons were fighting the
| Social Democratic party, nOtwithstand-
| ing the fact that he was opposed TO the
present county option bill, Senator
| Marsh said:
| "They may have fought him in the
past, but they'll never do it again I'M
til they forget what he has said this
afternoon" Then turning to Senator
Gaylord: You need have no fears
when the GermanAmerican alliance
| sends out it's list; there'll be marked op
posite your name i'll big letters the WORD
favorable Bless your heart, they
don't care why you vote with them. They
| Just want your vote and you might
stand up here for hours and say about
them whatever you please, but so long
as you voted with them, they would not
| question your motives"
In reply to the charge that prohibi
| ton was not prohibitive, Senator Marsl
said that regulation did not regulate
with all our laws regulating the liquor
traffic, with the sale Of liquor to minors
TO drunkards, to intoxicated men and tt
men on the verge of intoxication, al
prohibited, yet all these laws are VIC
lated almost daily by almost every sa
loon keeper in the state"
Senator Marsh told of his visit t
Florida. where he saw county option il
operation and the favorable impression
he gained out of it.
In closing. Mr.. Marsh said that thu
question was here to stay and no mat
ter how the Senate voted on it or how
the Assembly voted on it, it would bs
up two years from now.