Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-03-04
CLARK TELLS OF HIS STAND
Open Letter to Public on Mulct Law
Repeal-Says Public Wants Saloon
To Go and Repeal was Demand
ed by the People

DIES MONIES, March a. Cover
nor George Clarke today dictated
an open letter to the public on his
attitude on the Clarkson anti-mulct
law bill because of the thousands of
letters kilograms and personal in
terviews he has received urging him
either to veto the bill or send it back
to the legislature urging an extern
sion of time for operation. Most of
these protests came from working
men employed by saloons, breweries
and allied interests. To them Gov.
Clarke gives a strong rebuke as fol-
lows:
Representatives of labor from
some of the cities of the state called
upon me in person and many wrote
to me urging me to veto the bill, be-
cause they were employed by liquor
and allied interests. To all such men
and laboring men in general l beg
to say that of all men you ought to
be the last to urge the continuance
of the liquor business. The labor
ing man and his family suffer most
from it. Daily on my way from the
capitol in the evening have l seen
laboring men stopping at the saloon
and crowding the bar, drinking,
spending the money that ought to
be used for the support and happi-
ness of the wife and little children.
The men engaged in this employment
ought to take a longer look ahead
They ought to think of their brothers
who toll and of their wives and child
rem. The Punishment of the saloon
ought to be the emancipation of many
a laboring man, the Joy of life in his
home, better conditions and a better
outlook on life for his child. You
who have called upon me, you who
have written me, you who have pass
ed resolutions, stand rather like men
for your homes, your babies and your
country.
Iowa has a pride in her citizen
ship. Her people are law abiding.
An assumption that any portion of
them will become deliberate violat-
ors of the law is unwarranted. The
good reputation of the state is the
pride of all the people. The good
name of the cities is essential to their
continued growth, their business and
home development. Especially is
this true under the present attitude
of the public mind on this question.
To be distinguished for respect for
the law is the greatest asset a city
can have. | hope all who have call
ed upon me, written me, passed res
| olutions, whether upon one side or
the other of the question, will as
sumo a proper attitude of mind, not
of intolerance on the one hand or
resentment on the other, but that
which takes a long look ahead and
places the public good above every
other consideration. Thegood of all
the people is the finest sentiment
known to the government. May it
always inspire them inds and hearts
of the people of Iowa. The laws of
restraint will be unnecessary
Regarding the subject generally
the governor said:
THE wave of public sentiment
| against the saloon and liquor bust
ness has been rapidly rising higher
and higher during the last five or six
years. What has happened in Iowa
was inevitable sooner or later. That
the saloon was a doomed institution
that not a word could he said in its
defense, that it was menace to SOC
| iety, had come to be the settled con-
yiction of vast and rapidly increas-
ing number of people. This ought
to have been apparent to liquor men
as well as to all even casual observ-
ers OF the trend of public thought.
The storm, so long gathering and so
plainly in sight has at last broken.
An appeal to me as governor for
shelter and protection was made. |
was called upon to turn back the tide
if only for two or three years.
Putting aside any personal views
| might have as TO the situation or as
to the liquor question, was il right
to ask me to throw myself into the
breach and take upon myself the
whole responsibility either by return
ing the bill, demanding an extension
of time of it's taking effect or by We
toing il as / was urged to do The
temper of the house on the time
question had been fully tried out. Ii
would have been an impertinence on
my part to have thrown the bill back
to it with such demand Could
there have been any justification for
the veto of such a bill, passed as it
was, and rejecting as ii did, the will
of the people, if their representatives
can know and express their will? II
violated no constitutional provision.
Ii was but the determination of the
people as to their method OF control
ling the liquor traffic. The legisla-
tive department, having determined
that question of police regulation, it
was not for the executive department
to interfere. The governor is such
for all people of the state and not
for particular sections of 1t only. |
appeal to any man who has urged
me to return the bill with demand,
or to veto it, as to whether under all
the circumstances and after refiec-
ton, he would haye done what he
urged me to do"