Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-05-24
PROHIBITION WINS
IN MINNEAPOLIS
E. E. Lobeck Tells OF Fiqht
I'm Twelfth Ward.

One Of the most novel elections
ever conducted in the state was
held Tuesday in the twelfth ward
Minneapolis. There is no state law
whereby the people of a city the
size of Minneapolis are permitted
to vote on the license question.
Attempts have been made to secure
such laws but in vain while the pre-
sent element has control of the leg
islative machinery. But the people
of Minneapolis have been able to
elect a few aldermen who dare
to take more advanced stand on
public questions of this kind and
therefore adopted a resolution pro-
vidlng for an election in the twelfth
ward where there are twelve saloons
to which conditions a large number
of those people object. All the legal
voters who voted at the last election
and the women who voted at the
last election for members of the
school board were permitted to vote.
A strenuous campaign was waged.
Several of the prominent business
men of the city took an active part
in the campaign against license
condemning the saloon traffic in no
unmistakable terms. Mr.. Lobeck
of Douglas county was secured as
one of the leading spokesman. The
Minneapolis Tribune gives him a
very extended notice which we
reprint.
The saloon element as usual con-
Quoted a quiet campaign. simply
doing personal work." They had
several automobiles in their service
and every saloon was closed. All
the saloonkeepers and bartenders
were busy bringing in the voters
for their side.
| Among the speakers selected by
the dry" element of the twelfth
ward to discuss the merits of the
exclusion of the saloons from the
district, none possesses more of the
reformer's zeal than E. E. Lobeck
Of Alexandria former member of
the legislature, called the untamed
lion," form the undaunted manner
in which he has assaulted the liquor
business.
Mr.. Lobeck addressed a large
gathering of Twelfth ward people
Monday night in the Bethany
Norw. Lutheran church on the
merits of the election held Tuesday.
The remarkable arrangement of the
average mans mind by which he
is able to see no harm in the action
of the saloonkeeper which would be
a terrible thing in any one else was
the basis Of the argument of the
speaker. He told of the high ideal
held by modern people regarding
the education Of their children and
the conduct of their churches while
they were willing to excuse in the
liquor merchant actions which
would not be tolerated in any one
else.
The economic side of the saloon
question was given some attention
by the speaker. He ridiculed the
contention of the saloon element
that large part of the money spent
in saloons went back to the common
man as payment for labor and declar.
ed that out of every dollar spent over
the bar only 2 cents represented the
labor cost of the liquor, while in {
grocery store, meat or shoe shop
the percentage would be at least
l6 cents.
Mr.. Lobeck cited the example
set by many modern saloonkeep
ers who refuse to employ bartender!
who touch the merchandise they sci
and said if their goods were TOT
dangerous for the men who sell then
to use. they were also too dangerous
for the residents and especial,
the growing generation of the south
end of the city.
"Go to the polls tomorrow ant
end for all time the curse of the
liquor abomination in your section
of the city," said Mr.. lobeck
"Your opportunity is at hand ant
if you fail to grasp it you are set
thing a load of sorrow and trouble
on the heads Of your children which
you will never be able to atone for
The liquor traffic is curse. It. sap
the brains, physical vigor ant
economic substance of every mai
who allows it to control him AM
no man can play with it withou
running a terrible risk of even
tually succumbing to the evil"
The election was vigorously con
tested by both sides. The liquo
people seemed from the start t
be the best organized but some o
their workers were walking signs
of the traffic's handiwork and nov
it is generally conceded the result