The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-03-11
sT0REFRONTB[0WN BIC MASS MEETING
ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE SPEAKERS
AT OPERA HOUSE.
Rev. Donald McKinzie, Superintendent
of MankatO District, and P. j.
Y%Oungdahl, State Superintendent,
Deliver Addresses; the Protestant
Churches of City Unite in Giving
the League a Boost.

SHuiChSo VI Slty. OLitc III DiVlhS
the League a Boost.
From Mondays Daily.
The mass meeting at the opera house
last night under the auspices OF the
Anti Saloon league of Minnesota filled
every seat in the house, and left stand
ing room at a premium. The meet
ing was a great success and a hearty
endorsement of the leagues efforts.
The rear of the stage was decorated
with large flags, covering the. entire
space. The pastors of the various pro-
~testant churches that had united their
congregations in the meeting were
seated on the stage, and Rev. E. II.
Willisford presided. The Twentieth
Century orchestra assisted bv render
ing several selections very effectively.
Rev. T.. J.. Heermance led in the Scrip
tural reading, and Rev. r.. Ross Paden
led in prayer.
Rev. Willisford opened the meeting
by remarking that this magnificent
audience showed the interest that Man
kato people had in the liquor ques-
ton. 1t was the greatest question
now before the people. and county
option is the greatest phase of it to-
day, and is the greatest question in
Minnesota.
Rev. Donald Mckenzie, superintendent
of the Mankato district for the Anti
Saloon league, was the first speaker,
but his address was brief. He said
that he believed that the saloon is
a bad institution. He had watched
its effects since boyhood, and as a
pastor for the past seventeen years,
and no good thing could be said of it,
even from a business standpoint.
Maine, which is a prohibition state,
is the most prosperous in the union.
In. 1896 there were but two murders
in that state. Blue Earth county
| could beat that, and in Minneapolis
there is one every twenty-three days.
Kansas, another prohibition state, has
thirty jails that have been rented to
farmers for corn cribs.
Rev. Mckenzie complimented Man
kato on being a clean city, and said
that he was taking up his residence
here and would move his family here
this week, and he hoped to Join hands
with the citizens in every good move.
The audience joined in singing "On-
ward, Christian Soldiers"
Dry Wave Coming This Way.
p. J. Y~oungdahl, the state super
intendent of the Anti Saloon league,
was the principal speaker of the even
ing. He is full of fire and eloquence,
and made the time that he spoke seem
short. He spoke of the great prohi-
bition wave that is sweeping over the
country, which has closed 10000 sa-
looms. 1t has struck Illinois. Indiana,
Ohio, Missouri. Arkansas, Michigan,
Delaware, Florida, Texas, California,
Washington and was coming east again,
and was about due to strike Mime
sofa, if predictions were not entirely
wrong. Over half of the population of
the country now lives in dry territory.
IF the movement progresses during the
coming nine years as it has in the
past ten years, every saloon and brew
cry in the country will be closed. "Thc
saloons have been going some," said
the speaker, "and thank God they nave
got to 60 some more all over the coun
try. The business is a crime against
manhood and ~wOmanhood, and decent
manhood has arisen and is camping on
its trail.
] Speaking of the county option move
ment in Minnesota. Mr.. Youngdahl
said that the politician sees it in the
clouds and trembles, but the mother
sees it in the sunrise and r~ejoices. The
speaker explained what kind of county
option the Anti Saloon league stands
for. There were two principles that it
based its fight on, that taxation with
; out representation is wrong, and that
a man has the right to protect his
home and family from harm by the use
of the ballot.
Warden Wolfer has said that sew
enty-five per cent of the prisoners in
the penitentiary had gotten there
through the doors of the licensed saloon.
The United States supreme court has
said that the dram shops are the great
est producer of crime in the country.
Under the present system, the small
est village in the county, by one ma
iority, can place a heavy burden of
taxation on the entire county, which
was taxation without representation.
When a bar tender elected a man
from a saloon in Marshall county it
cost the county $1,000. 1t cost Doug
las county $4,000 to try and convict
Martin Moe of the killing of Charles
Challine.
Why They Hate Saloons.
owe hate the saloons for their dis
obedience of law" said Mr.. Y~oungdahl,
"for the lies that they have told, for
the women whose lives they have pois-
oned, for the corruption that they have
caused, and for all of the hateful things
that they have done. Yet we are not
asking the governor and the legislature
to close a single one of them, but
are merely asking them to give us
back our birth right"
The speaker said that Mankato is
a prosperous business town because of