Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-02
(By Local option league. i,

For two years the liquor men have
been saying prohibition doesn't pro
ntbit. We will sell more liquor under
local option than under license" For
the same length of time the anti-saloon
people have been asking, why, then,
do you oppose local option IL it is to
increase your business?" After all
this time, the liquor men have finally
given an answer. In Friday evenings
papers they explained why they do not
want local option, even though it will
Increase business. Here is what they
say: Even though prohibition fails to
prohibit, by its very nature it casts
the imputation of illegality on the
methods Of trade that spring up in its
wake, and drives the business into
hands that will adapt themselves to
this nleg1timate trade. The liquor
men, while they could make as much,
If not more, than before naturally do
not wish to see their business under
a ban, and relegated into the hands of
those who are not subjected to regu-
lation or restriction"
On reading such an argument" one
feels like exclaiming, ooh, fudge" or
something equally forcible. The liquor
men are such law abiding, peaceful,
patriotic citizens that they would not
like to have their business increased
II that Increase carried with It the
stigma of illegitimacy And yet, they
could make as much, If not more than
before" If the town went dry. How
could they do it? BY the very same
methods that they are using today.
They have absolutely no regard for
the laws which are supposed to regu-
late their business now. and If the
| local option law is put into operation,
by their own admission, quoted above,
verbatim, they propose to violate that
law, and by violating it, make as
much, If not more" than at present.
There are two or three things that
the people of Rock Island need to re-
member. Two years ago the saloon
men promised faithfully to clean up
their business, eliminate the objection
able features, and obey the laws pro-
vided they were allowed to continue
in business. But did they ever clean
up 10 fulfllment of that promise ?
Not SO you can notice it.
For two years they have gone from
| bad to worse in their law defying
course They have broken the laws
at will They have disregarded every
! statute that stood in their way. They
have defed the laws of the city and
of the state. If there is any law they
have not broken it is because it paid
them to obey 1t. If they are allowed
to continue In their business il means
a continuation Of such procedure. Our
| city, already known all over the state
as a wide open" town, will continue
to be quoted as the worst and most
| lawless place outside of Chicago. The
| saloons will continue to be a scandal
and disgrace to our municipality
The dives and gambling dens and bad
houses will continue to flourish.
The saloons of Rock Island are prac-
ticed lawbreakers. They are operated
today in open defiance of the laws by
which they claim to be regulated
We defy them to contradict success
! fully the statement that they are fla.
| grant violators of the state and city
| laws.
And yet, they want the present ar
rangement continued. so that their
| business need not be branded as lille
| gitimate.
LOCAL OPTION PRESS COMMIT.
TEE.