Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-16

The wires INFORM mo tnAt tne TO-
peal OF tho mulct liquor law was an
acted In the lows legislature This
statute has made history while 1t has
made vital contribution to Iowa's won
derful achievement In moral growth. It
is subject to proof that under it, In
fiuence large share Of our state has
been relieved from the evils Of intern
perance in greater degree than any
other territory Of like size in the
United States.
when prohibition, as air-tight as
ten years Of ingenious restrictive leg
islation could make 1t, was falling more
and more into disrepute because of
widespread liquor decentralization and
the general weakening Of law enforce
ment along moral lines, the mulct law
came in as supplemental remedy. 1t
gave regulation and order to commun-
tiles where the saloon hal been law
unto itself. 1t saved prohibition to
communities capable Of making real
agency Of reform. It elsewhere leg
alizer under strict surveillance traf-
ic that had clandestinely existed I'M
der the most demoralizing and anarch-
istic conditions. 1t gave to temper
ance all possible advantage and
sha ckled the saloons with rigorous linn
itations.
I'm it's benefits to the state the mulct
law has far exceeded the expectation
of its most sanguine friends. 1t was
the product of moral disaster and po-
litical dilemma. When republicans OF
the Twenty fifth general assembly.
under sweeping party commission,
were in the throes Of modification, it
was apparent that the most unpopular
thing to do was to DO nothing at all;
that next in point Of unpopularity was
listed anything that might possibly
be done. Out of the stress of civic
need and political necessity the mulct
law had dubious birth.
''At its installation the law seemed
to please not much of anybody. The
river counties considered it narrow,
illogical, tyrannicaL and on the whole
quite impossible. Temperance terri
tory denounced it as a shameless sur
render to the saloon and a dire menace
to morality. Both were very much in
error as the record proves. AS I re-
call. away from sources Of definite in
formation, some sixty-five counties
put over the mulct law. The system
soon demonstrated its own expediency
by improving conditions in both wet
and dry territory and in its tendency
to make the traffic in intoxicating
liquors self-destroying. 1t has so far
effaced itself that now, I believe there
are fewer than fifteen counties en-
ploying this supplemental expedient to
promote moral growth. In prohibit
ton territory we have the best temp
erance demonstration in the history of
this reform and with every year this
territory has extended its benign
boundaries. It wet districts the saloon,
once ad ictator, is now suppliant.
Leaders Of a party once massed in its
support now delight in the invention OF
instruments Of torture for its cringing
flesh. Most papers which aforetime
gave it support and defense now give
it kick as they pass. Only blind pre-
JUDGE. or a preference for the ideal
over the real can in any mind obscure
the fact that the Iowa mulct law has
been the most helpful yet adopted
under conditions such as ours for the
firm establishment on an enduring
basis for the Punishment OF the saloon
and the promotion Of moral growth.
'sHas this reform agency been en-
piOyeQ 10 the llIHll Oh It's
Has the "inclining along" policy, so
often suggested by the Register ana
Leader. been pursuN far enough?
Time alone can tell. This law was
intended as supplemental agency for
the final extinction Of the liquor traf-
fic. There is ground for the belief that
few more years Of reform from within
the remaining mulct counties might
have been as well or better for the
state, but even now the time may be
ripe for going to prohibition net, with
no discount to individuals or conditions
or communities. More and more Is
the sober judgement Of mankind con-
vincing assailed by conspicuous evil
dences Of the waste and decentralization.
material az well as moral involved in
the saloon business. In this judgment
is established the certainty that not
SO very much longer can inhuman
greed and human weakness sustain the
heaviest handicap upon moral growth
and material progress"
Proving an Alibi.