Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-10-12

- SAs~ oPA An8 SACStAOA 0IoIIy
towns refused license by the largest
majority ever given. Waseca, for
the first time in it's history repudi-
ated license. Willmar, for years
the largest no-)icense city in Mime
sofa, has had to yield the honor
Fergus Falls, who by amending her
charter so that the citizens could
vote direct upon the question, put
out of business fourteen saloons
each paying $1,000, a total of
$l6.8OO in revenue. And the great
temperance parade in Minneapolis,
May IA. in which between twenty
and thirty thousand people partici-
pated, showing their stand on the
question today, would have been
impossible few years ago under
the then existing sentiment.
Sentiment for law-enforcement
is also strong. People coming to
see that law can be enforced if
there are even a few persons really
in earnest about it. An editorial
in one of our dailies not long ago
said: Law can be ignored only
by complete conspiracy. of courts,
administrators and puplic. The
courts are open to every citizen to
enforce the law, as much as to the
sworn executive. They cannot re-
fuse action with out abdicating,
unless citizens as we'll as adminis-
traitors agree not to ask it.
The article also mentioned the cases
concerning the sale of soft drinks
around Lake Minnetonka. A few
residents tried to see what could
be done, with the result that nearly
fifty unlawful resorts were closed
and one of the offenders received
work-house sentence. Interesting
facts in regard to malt came out
during one Of these cases. While
the Federal Government grants the
right to sell, without license. all
liquor containing two per cent or
less of alcohol. the state makes no
such distinctions; but says "no
Intoxicating liquor can be sold
without license. Louis Bern
hagen, the chemist, in reply to
question by the County Attorney in
one of these cases said: Malt liq-
uor containing two percent Of alco-
hol is Intoxicating as generally un-
derstood by chemists" On cross
examination asked if liquor with
less than two per cent of alcohol is
Intoxicating replied, 'Intoxication
as understand is a state of excite
ment or stupefaction and the liq-
uor would have some effect in pro-
ducing that state.'' From this we
see the harm of allowing malt to be
sold among the socalled ''soft
drinks" since there is enough alco-
hol to create appetite, and the con-
sumers of malt would soon require
something stronger. And with lax
law-enforcement. as in Excelsior,
beer can easily be substituted.
If the order of w. E. johnson,
of the U. S. Indian Service goes
into effect and with previous orders
is enforced, Becker. and Hubbard, ,
Mahnomen, Clay, Cass and Norman
Counties with parts of Clearwater.
Be1trami, Grow Wing, 1tas-
ca, Polk, Otter Tail. Re d
Lake and Wadena would be
dry territory. Of course the liq-
uor Interests are vigorously pro-
testing against these orders and
doubtless will make a strong fight
against their enforcement, but
we hope it will soon be ''dry terri
tory"
Speaking of the Young people s
branch of the w. C. T. U. and the
work among the children as one of
the first lines of work planned she
quoted Miss Willard IF we would
stop drunkenness we must reach the
people before they become drunk
ards. We must put the scientific
facts about alcohol before the
minds of the young.''
On March /, 1887 Governor Nc
Gill signed the bill that made scien-
tific temperance instruction a law
OF the state for our puplic schools.