Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-02-22
SPRlNGVILLE RESIDENT
SAYS TOWN is DEAD ONE

Editor Deseret Evening News. Dear
Sir-There Is a town I'm Utah whore a
prohibition law has been among the
city ordinances for 20 years. And the
enforcing OF this ordinance and It's eff
feet upon the community may
be taken as typical Of what the eff
feet Of state wide prohibition would be
upon the cities and towns OF the state.
Springville Is a town OF some 5000 in
habitauts situated ina Utah county. II
has o supply OF pure water which is far
iu excess OF the demand for such
commodity. 1t has a wooden mill. a
canning factory a creamery, a piclde
factory and is the Junction point Of
Tho main line and branch Of the Den
yer a. Rio Grande railway, which runs
TO The Tutic mining region. Ihe Land
about SprinEville IS as good as any land
in utah, it IS the center OF the fruit
growing belt OF the state. The people Of
SuIiueviIle are without exception
Americans Of the best sort. There is no
foreign element whatever.
Yet sprngyile s. and has been for
some time commercially dead. Provo
upon the north and American Fork and
Lohi beyond are growing towns AS
towns should De iu this virtually unde-
VaIopHd state. Spanish Fork and Pay
son au the south are towns OF much less
natural resource, ygt there SIS more
business done in a day iu either of them
Cham is done iu spriugrille loo week.
SIC. -prugVille varies only from the
uelghboring towns in that o. has am ore
diuauce which prohibits the -alc OF In
tozieauug liquor.
So FAR as the business of tho city is
concerned, tho violations and attempt
ed enforcing OF this ordinance seom 10
D. The main issue. The streets are neg
laet.d and the sidewalk In even a.
much used O. place as the street from
tho railway station 20 the business por-
tion of the town o. ovcrrun with the
filth which drains and Is tracked from
"a cattle corral.
said the attempted enforcing Of this
ordinance, for tho ordinance d not
successfully enforced, Liquor o. sold Do
TIM town and the sentiment Of the COM
muuity is not in favor OF prohibition
For residents. not as "a class but almost
without exception. seek 20 violate the
laW. And % man who knows from ac-
tual observation tells me that during
the past 20 yclr8 an The members of
Che city council and tho Members Of the
municipal police force with the eKcep-
ti0n of those whom De named have.
Nhne actually holding office sought
either ln person nr by acknowledged
proxy 10 purchase liquor illegally for
pnsml induigence
#Iho eminent OF the community deals
harhiy with the nrormor whose testi-
Wony brings about 90 conviction flr Me-
gHI liquor selling Indeed. De- ls iu.-
possible fur one who has thus betrayed
tua confidence of a laWhr0aker tD mako
u HsIns iu the town after De- has given
h.- testimony. This has been proven
tna and again hy tha departure ~ n-
IH And u a recent cHs. "a prumi-
u.uI business mau Hno bod unwilling
N boon placed iu "a position where h.
could have DrUn summoned as a Nit-
H.H I.ff town and remained away for
'U. uu. uath.r fHau kIte testimony
H.'Iu.t lHr mHu tl1 had solid hlm the
NNu'. Upon Doe return ho Waa asked
"HF ne hal done chic
To would have ruined ue iu business
ItN 7 remained ana testified. he is re-
ported t0 have said.
hui surely f the sentiment 0f the
community D. behind che law ID would
hHFe supported him had De- remained
.aW cannot be- stronger than the
public feeling behind H. and prohibition
Don epr.aEFiIlf D. merely a sentiment
without popular support For the city
n'neialh seem t0 lead "a dual aNistencei
chat uf thr official who must tudcatol