Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-06
The Saloon Question Election anf
the Warning.

lin <JfhAlH1A XACO4AOBA ALEONAAOA GAAANA
= the Warning.
The people of Rock Island are not
for prohibition in dealing with the sa-
loon question At all events they have
not yet reached that stage where, as
The Argus predicted before the cleo
ton. they are ready-that is to say,
quite ready to concede that in
complete annihilation reposes the only
remedy IN dealing with the liquor
traffic
Yesterdays election, anent the sec
ond submission Of the anti-saloon ques-
ton, locally speaking. resulted in de-
cided gains for the advocates of local
option. Whereas the majority against
declaring Rock Island anti-saloon ter
ritory in 1908 was 1859. yesterday saw
the majority reduced almost one-haf.
But the change in public sentiment
SO indicated is not the most significant
feature of the election According to a
careful estimate, there we're 500 voters
in the city yesterday who ignored the
proposition entirely. That is shown
ON the face of the ballots. What do
these blank ballots on this subject
show2
The Argus ventures to say that 90
per cent Of the voters who failed to
register on either side OF the saloon
question are men who are opposed to
prohibition, who for the most part vot-
ed In the negative two years ago, but
who refused by their ballots yesterday
to give countenance to the intolerable
conditions that have existed in Rock
Island during the past year.
What will be the attitude OF these
500 voters, snon-committal this year,
two years hence unless conditions are
changed IN Rock Island, and materially
changed at that? Is it difficult to ans
wer this question? Is it predicting
too much to say that the ranks
of the 800, augmented by per-
haps as many more, they will
vote to wipe the liquor interests
out of business in Rock Island, re-
CARELESS of who may suffer, If that be
the only means Of Kidding it of the
evils that now debauch it and disgrace
the city?
And herein lies the warning flashed
in yesterdays election. It is plain as
handwriting. There must be reforma-
ton. The dive, the dump and the pest
house of sin doing business under the
name of saloon must be wiped out or
the entire traffic will be suppressed.
This is not a threat from a newspaper
1t is a sign of the times.
Few people there are who do not in
recognize that the gamb-
ling den and the brotheI are plague
spots more to be avoided than small
pox. The people will no longer put
up with these offensive Affections in
Rock Island The question now is,
viii the liquor interests manifest the
proper regard for their own welfare
and for the decent saloon keeper who
decency, to say nothing of
common regard for the moral well
being of the community, to
adopt such measures as will rid the
city of the evils that are most Justly
condemned, and which will continue to
be condemned while they exist.
Following the election of two years
ago, The Argus declared that the vote
against prohibition should not be con-
strued as licensing the liquor interests
to conduct themselves in defiance of
public sentiment. The Anti-Prohibi-
ton league made certain professions
at that time in the line of improving
the conditions existing in Rock Island,
and the promises so made were ap-
plauded by all classes of people. But
that was the beginning and the end of
it There is no occasion to say more
on this particular phase of the sit |
uation than to remind the Ii
1uor interests that it is once more I'D
to them.
The returns from other Illinois cit |
les, Including Rockford and Decatur
among the larger ones, that restored |
the saloon yesterday, Indicate that |
The people are more for reform than
Tor prohibition, but that they will not |
put up with the abominably abhorrent |
conditions IL as a last resort they are |
obliged to close up a town for a COIL
pie OF years to accomplish a reforma- |
ion.
The Argus has held steadfastly to |
he conviction that the policies Of reg
llation, restriction and enforcement |
would develop a status, locally speak
ng, that would prove generally salts
actory. 1t has deplored conditions
hat have existed during the past year.
With no check upon the saloons, and
las not hesitated to expose and con-
Tenn the low ebb that has been
cached.
The policy so pursued by The Argus
viii not be deviated from in the slight.
,st in thesfuture.
ErF-<,fsnw,