Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-11-04
OREGON OR WASHINGTON?

The Observer cannot for the life of
1t see what oregon would gain in a
financial way by voting dry" Grant
ing for the sake of argument that
every dollar spent for liquor is dol
lar wasted, the fact remains that while
oregon is wet, that dollar remains in
Oregon. The very day Oregon becomes
dry, the mail-order liquor houses
would simply transfer their base of
operations from Portland to Vancou-
yer, Washington, or to some other
point just ACROSS the Columbia river
Here they would be as close to their
Oregon customers as they are at pres
ent, and here they could ply their
business without fear of molestation.
For it must be remembered that the
laws of the Federal Government do
not permit any interference with In
ter-State shipments. If you will read
the law by which It is proposed to
make oregon dry, you will see that IL
says mo person shall offer to any car
rler for shipment or delivery any in
toxicating liquor from a place to
place both within the State OF Oregon"
The law does not attempt to forbid
shipments from one state to another,
for any such provision would be In
direct violation OF the Interstate Com
merce Law.
Should oregon vote dry next Tues
day. every thinking man in the state
knows exactly what would happen.
The liquor business would simply be
transferred across the line into Wash
ington and would continue to flourish.
Then, every dollar sent out by oregon
residents for liquor would be lost to
this state The Washington brewer and
mail-order house would reap the
whole benefit. and Washington would
grow at Oreg0n's expense. And we all
know the people Of Washington well
enough 10 know that this would not
hurt their feelings in the least
Talk about benefiting the oregon
laboring man by voting Oregon dry!
We ask. In the name OF common busi-
ness sense, what possible benefit the
Iaboring man in oregon would ever
receive from a dollar sent out OF the
would he ever have to get any part OF
u after it was sent away 20 another
state2 DO not think for a moment that
the Oregon laboring man does not see
the point to this argument We have
on the desk before US a circular from
organized labor. received In today's
mail, appealing 20 the voters OF Ore
condition. The circular Is signed not
only by the local labor unions OF As
toria. Baker City. The Dalles. Salem
and Portland, but by the executive
board OF the Oregon state Federation
of Labor Itself.
The Oregon and Washington Illus |
tration holds good as % Polk and
Marion counues. or as 20 Polk and
any other wet county IN this state.
The only difference is a difference IN /
favor uf he illustration as 70 the Ore
Eon COUNTIES. for when q Polk County /
dollar IL spent Tor liquor In salem or /
Portland. that dollar al least remains 4
In Ororcn and does not help 20 build /
up sone other state az OreEon's ex-
pensa ID remains part Of the
wealth ~ Oregon. even II Polk Coun-
~ never Sees u again But how can u
possibly beneft PoIk County 70 tnse
a dollar which was prodnced here and /
uhick riet.esny belongs hers9
A peli-knoun business nan of Dai-
1ar stood IN a szien eaicon q few min
nies On Monday cf this wsck. and eur
inr me liglls time Re AS there he saw
f1T o. PolE Couniy money 80 Into the
cash register Ter iiqror which had
ben shIrped 20 Danas We v0uit lIks
fcr soue adroo.fs 81 . -try- Polk 70