The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-12-19
Saloon Men Declare They Have 5000
Signatures to Document, Mean
ing Blow TO Prohibition
Movement
ARE SURE OF SUCCESS
Formal Statement is Made by Dealers
to PubIic-WIlI Ask Injunction
to Prevent Publishing of
Names.

Claiming majority of 1000 names
the liquor men of Des Moines filed
their mulct saloon petitions of con-
sent, according to law.
The consent petition for the manu-
facture of liquor in Des Moinss was
filed with the city clerk as the law
provides while the petition for the
sale of liquor in the city was filed
with the county auditor. According
to the official statement of the Des
Moines Retail Liquor Dealers assocfa-
ton issued Saturday, an action in
court will be brought for a writ of in.
junction to restrain the Des Moines
Citizens association from publishing
the names of the signers to the sa-
loon petitions as has been threatened.
In retaliation for the publicity given
to the number OF Withdrawals from the
saloon petitions, the liquor men claim
that they will publish the list of with
drawn names that the public may
know who the men are who changed
their minds.
Statement OF Saloon Men.
In its official statement the Des
Moines Liquor Dealers association
sets forth its contention for the sue
cess of the saloon petitions as fol-
lows.
We will file our consent petitions
this afternoon-the manufacturing pc
tition with the city clerk, and the
mulct petition with the county audi
tor, as the Law provides. 1t so far
contains 1908 good genuine names,
that will compare with the poll hooks.
The total number of votes cast was
1851, and we still have fifteen can
yassers out, who are 10 report by 3
p. m. They will probably bring in
about 100 more names. This viii give
US more than 1900 majority, or in
other words, give up the best petition
ever fled in this city.
We have no animosity or i'll feeling
against the prohibition forces, as they
are also honest in their opinions as to
the best methods to control the liquor
traffic, and they certainly made a
great campaign. Still We think it is
wrong for either side to try to en-
barrass any one in expressing his
honest opinion on either side by
threatening to hurt his business, his
political ambitions, or his social stand
ing.
We could have probably have secur.
ed about 1000 more names, for not
outstanding the Overwhelming senti-
nent in this city, who favored the
mulct saloon with It's strict regulation
good many people were embarrass.
ed when asked 10 sign our petitions,
because OF threats of the anti-saloon
people Of boycott against their bust.
ness and social conditions, SO we real.
~ did not insist on that class of peo-
pie signing, but we thought We would
incidentally get large majority OF
signers, SO that the citizens of our
city would be satisfied that the senti.
naent OF Des Moines is strongly in
favor of the present saloon system.
A very great majority OF our citi
zens think that the liquor traffic is
much better controlled under the
mulct law, and they certainly would
not attempt to force absolute prohib
ltion on the city, especially a area,
many OF the old residents who lived
here and by their own experience In
vestigated the farce hypocrisy and fail
ure of prohibition to bring TEMPERANCE