The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-12-30
FORTUNATE kEokuk.


among the cities of it's class in the
state in escaping dissension and tur-
moil over consent petitions for the
sale of liquor during the next five
years In number of municipalities,
notably Ottumwa, Iowa City and Des
Moines, citizen has been arrayed
against citizen and much bad feeling
has been engendered. In come OF
these places public meetings have
been held and a great deal of intern
perate talk INDUCED in on both sides,
and in all of them the contest has
been carried on in the newspapers,
not always with proper regard for the
amenities. In Iowa City and Ottum-
wa in particular threats were banded
back and forth and reprisals freely
suggested In the university city the
/ telephone was Systematically called
I into requisition and merchants dared
! to face the consequences of gener-
al boycott In Ottumwa at mon
ster meeting of women held in the
t Y. NJ. c.. A. building it was resolved
as last resort to have large num-
Der OF women call on the signers of
the saloon consent petition with
view of persuading them TO withdraw
their names. On the other hand, no.
i tice has been served on the anti-sa-
loon forces that any worker coercing
anyone to withdraw his name Will
be vigorously prosecuted. All such
misunderstanding, agitation, discord
and contention has been happily avoid
ed in this community.
i In Cedar Rapids at the height of
the controversy the Republican print
ed a letter under the heading, who
Are You?n which gave offense to SO
many persons that that paper
!. has since felt called upon to explain
why it published It. In doing so it
, INDUCES in some timely and thought
!, full reflections as to what is due from
! one citizen of community to anoth-
. er which are as pertinent and appli-
cable in Keoklh as in Cedar Rapids.
The letter in question was written
by a gentleman ostensibly in the in
terest of temperance but was in it
self striking example of intemper-
l ance in the use of language. The
Republican withheld it several days
: because of some of its radical utter
ances, but finally permitted it to ap-
: pear because it has been in the habit
! of permitting free discussion in its
columns The letter severely cen.
sured all those of a different mind
from the writer and by implication
! held that the man who signed a liz.
uor permit was little better than a
murderer and intimated that most OF
them were not factors in Cedar Rap
ids Such language truthfully OBJ
serves the Republican, generally de
feats its own purpose. Violent views
do not help any cause. Harsh judg
{ ments, and unfair ones, always react
:, Men are not Influenced in that way
:. The Republican goes on to say In
admirable spirit and with character
istic good sense:
X Since w. S. H. has made his
8 statements in these columns, il is onl,
:. fair to say that all men who have
), signed the liquor petition are not mer
: of the kind that he is thinking about
q There are just as good men on the
e one side as the other man ma,
e conscientiously sign such a petition
4. because he believes that the condi
a. tions under the mulct would be mos
re ally preferable to the conditions tina
n might OBTAIN under no legalized sa
10 looms. for to many the abolition o
the legal saloon means the illiei
hole-in-the-wall Men are entitled {,
their opinions on either side of tha
III question. There is plenty OF room o.
" both sides and the man to he admire
le Is the one who has the courage of hi
10 own convictions and who is still fai
e, to men who differ with him in thei
ID convictions"
N The Republican credits both side
to the controversy there with having
n. on the whole. avoided extremes an
is being disposed to play the game fairly
ne The Temperance association have cor
IT. Quoted their side Of the campaig
to openly and aboYe.board. and the lie
uor men have goRe about their bus