Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-03-03
COUNTY OPTION WINS

&C. J. Buell., for Willmar Tribune).
At last county option bill has pass
ed both Houses of the legislature and
has been signed by the Governor; but
it did not have a vote to spare in the
House.
After many years of agitation the
temperance people have gained vic
tory over the combined power of the
liquor interests and the forces Of
stand.patism.
| But this is not all-The true prin-
ciple of home rule and self govern
ment has also gained a great victory
Self government and home rule
mean that the people whose interests
are at stake shall all have a voice and
vote in the determination of the
questions at issue.
1t is not home rule-it is not true
self government when the people of
some small villages-or even of a city
have the power to license saloons
whose baleful influence extends for
miles outside the village or city linn
its and helps to blight the whole sur
rounding country.
1t is not true home rule nor real self
government when all the people of a
county must be taxed to support the
paupers and meet the expense of pros
ecuting the criminals that are the d.
rect result Of the licensed liquor traf-
f1c.
True home rule and real self gov
eminent demand that all the people
Of the county at least should have a
voice in settling policy which means
to them much expense and greatly in
creased taxes.
| There are many counties in the
state where the people of one or two
small villages, under the present So
called local option" plan, have it in
their power to vote license and thus
burden the whole county with a heavy
expense, and the people who must pay
these taxes have no vote on the ques-
ton at all.
If this is not taxation without re-
presentation, what is it?
The county option law which now
goes into effect, restores to the peo
pie Of the counties the right of real
self-government, and empowers them
to settle this question of license as
they see fit.
But the new law does not permit
the people of a county to impose liquor
upon even the smallest community
within it's borders, against their wish
And this is as it should be.
There has never been a time in the
history of any free people when the
courts would not restrain and close
up any institution that was nuisance
r to the people of even the smallest
neighborhood.
This is the old common law prin
ciple and one can never get away from
: But tyranny and privilege Away:
die hard.
In the so-called "local option" sys
tenn the liquor interests found grea1
advantage. Under it small part 81
the real community could establish
saloons, and the entire community
must suffer and pay the bills.
But the liquor interests was not thu
only power invoked to keep ii
force this unjust system. All thu
forces of greed, cupidity, prejudice
and conservatism were employed Il
keep things as they are.
In the House the contest was long
and fierce. The special order was Sc
for eleven o'clock Wednesday morn
ing, February Gath. Long before tina
hour arrived the galleries were pack
ed with friends and foes of the bill.
-, Oratory was abundant; but mostl.
had little bearing on the merits o
the measure.
T. Mr.. Warner opened in favor of tn
n bill with speech that fairly set fortl
n the reasons urged by its supporters.
\ He was followed by Mr.. Carmich
ael, who eloquently defended tn
foundations of our free institutions
r which were in great danger of bein,
e overthrown if such a measure Shout,
y ever become a law. Even our Christ
n ianity and Civilization are endangered
l. Others who spoke for the bill wer
# Hompe, Stenvick, Holmes, Wefald
?. Corning, A. F. Teigen, Bendixen an
l. Bjornson.
Against the bill were H. H. Harr
o son, Lennon, Moeller, Pendergast
:. Minette, Dwyer, Devoid, Gilman, Day
d is and Larimore.
e Devoid pleaded the cause of tn
l. workingman that would be throw
: out of employment, wholly ignoring
f two important facts:
J. First, that any definite amount O
e money spent for liquor, only employ
a small fraction of the labor that thu
l. same amount of money employs whel
l. spent for other necessaries of life
l. and,
q Second, that under county optiol
e system the readjustment of business
I would be very gradual and the dis
q placed man would have plenty o
S chances to find other employment.
Mr.. Lennon, who represents the dis
n trict where the Minneapolis Brewing
3 Company is located, made stron,
plea against the bill, quoting Presi
: dent Wilson's argument for local op
s ton, but wholly ignoring the facts
J" that Wilson favored local option a.
K against no regulation, as means o
s allowing the people to get rid Of sal
q nj %1n% - IL