Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-01
HEART, TO HEART TALKS FOR
THE GOOD OF THE TOWN
Prohibition, Then and Now.

to no quarter and should be shown
no quarter. Nothing excuses them.
They should be suppressed regardless
of local option, regardless of who
owns or controls them.
Apart from the fact that the policies
of regulation, restriction and enforce
ment remain to be tried thoroughly
and effectively in Rock Island, the ex-
perience of Moline, where every one
of these policies is in force, where
there is a $1,000 license, restricting
ordinance in force, and where order is
maintained by enforcement. is regard
ed today as one of the best regulated
saloon cities in the state. Complaints
are rarely heard, and the saloon is put
in it's place and made to stay there.
True enough, the local option issue is
again to be fought out there this
spring, which only goes TO emphasize
the argument that those who are for
absolute prohibition will stand for no
other condition
With full cognizance of the contrast
existing between Rock Island and Mo-
line as far as the control of the liquor
traffic is concerned, but with firmness
in the conviction that the business can
be legitimately conducted here as well
as in Moline if the right measures are
applied, it is not discounting the moral
phase of the situation to refer to the
peculiar geographical conditions that
apply to Rock Island in the considera-
ton of a proposition of this kind; to
venture the statement that on this ac-
count and because of the state of mu-
nicipal finances, many will hesitate be-
fore subscribing TO the theory that the
proper, or at least the permanent, rem
edy for existing conditions reposes in
the prohibition argument
It is a great misfortune that some
practical form of legislation has not
been devised which, in the absence Of
enforcement by the constituted author
tiles, would delegate to the people
the right to distinguish between the
legitimate saloon and the disreputable
joint licensed to exist under the name
of saloon. There are well conducted
saloons in Rock Island, owned by
men who observe the requirements of
decency and law. who respect law and
order, and who are taxpayers and good
This is true 1t is believed in a
more or less degree of the majority of
the saloons. There are also men engaged
in the liquor business who have no
direct connection with the saloon. and
because these two classes = the le-
Ultimate saloonkeeper and the
wholesale dealer-would be obliged to
suffer for the sins of the divekeeper,
a great many people, while con-
demning the outrageous abuses that
have been tolerated. will consider well
before yielding to the conviction that
absolute determination is the only
means of lettering the town.
1t is gratifying to know that the cam
paign this year has been conducted
with less irritation and bitterness than
was the case two years ago. The ques-
ton is one on which honest differences
If opinion exist, taking the selfish side
put of it entirely. 1t is not always
through a war of extremes that the |
best good may come. tits the stand |
point of principle that we are striving |
or. The means of attaining the high |
est Observation-Disclosures lies the
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