The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-12-12
A MISTAKEN CRITIC.
Correspondent confounds Prohibition
With Temperance and Mis-
judges Accordingly.
To the Editor of The Gate City:

To the Editor of The Gate City:
! take your paper. like it very
we'll with one exception. You seem
to go out of your way to favor the
saloons and discredit prohibition
From two to three times a week you
clip or write an article favoring the
legalized saloon. You try to show
how prohibition does not prohibit,
You say prohibition is failure. You
seem to have an eye or scent for
discovering every failure or so-called
failure some time and some where, e,f
prohibition. You are blind as a bat or
as deaf as a stone, so far as one can
Judge by Your paper, to any good
whatever coming from prohibition.
Now you have right to your opinion.
but it is unfair to many Of your read
ers who do not see things as you do,
for you to be continually slappins
them in the face with your whisgoy-
soaked articles showing how tho tenn
perance people have failed and in
some instances insinuating that we
are not honest. Surely we have done
some good, surely We are not all dis
honest, cranks and fools. do not like
to have to say these things, but can
not keep silent any longer. do not
think you are treating us right. / have
waited for some one else to speak
and no one will or has, so will.
I af me nCfN rP 80 IN.
ments: There is as much or more
liquor sold and drunk where the sa-
looms are not as where they are.
You cannot prove it. 1t is the Ian
guage of the brewer and saloon;SceD-
er. If they can sell more liquors in
prohibition territory why are they
spending thousands and thousands OF
dollars to fight the temperance poo
pie? admit that it is difficult to ell
force the law against selling whiskey,
for there are old whiskey soaks in
every community that will drink as
long as their money and breath lasts
in spite Of law. But the same is true
of gambling, stealing, etc. Just as
soon as town votes tle saloons out
the breweries and their friends make
special effort to get liquor 20 their
TRUSTEES and if man is found drunk
and the law violated, the cry goes up:
More DRINKS and more whiskey sold
than ever,
But is prohibition failure? Let us
be fair for there is nothing to be
gained by disappearing any cause.
The trial is on. The editor of rae
Gate City says that prohibition of the
liquor traffic is a failure. Is it?
Judge Feagin Of Birmingham, Ala,
tell us about your city.
In one year after the saloons wee
closed the decrease in the aggregate
number of arrests was SO l.3 per
cent, for assault with intent TO kill
20 per cent, gambling II per cent,
drunkenness so per cent, .disoTderly
conduct 35 per cent, vagrancy As per
cent and wife beating 20 per cent
Hon John Temple Graves, tell ue
about Atlanta, Ca:
Not financial failure has been
credited to the new reform. Not a dol
lar has been dropped from the stiff
value of real estate in Georgia's capi
tai. Every gilded saloon has been re
opened as mart of fashion ano
trade, and many low doggery has
been redeemed by commercial lines
Of wholesome activity, What about
law and order, Mr.. Graves? I'm mat.
ters of law and order the occupation
OF the police judges for /. time a
least is gone. The sessions of the cit,
court, whose morning exercises Were
packed like matinees, have dwinGlee
to proportions which glorify tho law
and without extravagant statement, il
might be said that misdemeanors ant
small offenses have decreased full,
one-half in the entire city OF Atlanta
Landlords speak of better Rents an.
prompter payments Booker I. Wash
lngton, tell us what effect closing C.
saloons has had upon your people
The abolition of the barro orn il ;
blessing to the negro second onis t.
the abolition of slavery" If prahibi
ton is a failure why has Michiga,
held on to it and fought for it fift'
years. And Kansas for twenty-nin,
years and why was it that in the las
election Oklahoma did not say so? /
the editor of The Gate City and til.
breweries and saloon men are right /,
saying that prohibition does not pro
hibit,' then the majority of the yot
ers in the states named above ar
either fools or liars.
say in all Kindness and fairness
! am tired of your one-sided editor
ials and clippings that charge u.
with insincerity and branding oul
work as failure. / am in ear,.es
about the matter; il you wouli repre-
sent both sides with facts would NO
have uttered a word.
| Yours for the square deal