Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1916-02-18
SHALL THE COUNTY STAY DRY?

Next to putting Clearwater county
dry is keeping it dry. Here is one
proposition that will admit of no de-
bate, and there isn't any question
about who deserves the credit for the
first. Nor who can be depended on
for the latter. The Orofno Tribune
never raised it's voice in behalf of pro-
hibition, SO far as we can discover,
and would, if it could howl loud
enough about other things, put prohi-
bition again on the shelf, dead issue
as far as the Clearwater county Off
cials are concerned. The Tribune
made fun of the Elk River booze list,
and derided the efforts of the Repub-
lican to clean up the dirty mess. The
people should not forget these facts.
The Tribune and it's friends were in
control for four years; for these four
years what did they do to enforce the
law? The people were told that the
law was enforced; that conditions
were alright; that the timber com
pany wanted immortality and vice and
open violation of law at Elk River
but generally the Tribune was sure
the law was not violated. 1t was
blind as a bat and mum as an oyster,
or defended and excused the gang
when the Clearwater Republican be-
gan exposing and showing things up.
The Orofino Tribune had four years in
which to show how it stood on the
liquor question; four years to take a
stand for the enforcement of law; four
wears in which to demand cleaner
better moral conditions in it's home
town and county; four years in which
to condemn drunken county officials,
and in which TO insist that the laws
be enforced. Can the Tribune go
back thru its files and find single
article it ever wrote and printed en-
titling l. R. Crow and his paper to
the decent respect of people who pro-
TESS to believe in and stand for law
enforcement, and the prosecution of
bootleggers? Did the Tribune ap-
prove of the publication of the
Booze List?" Did it help put the
county dry? Has it ever espoused the
cause of prohibition? Has it ever
taken a stand that would show that
either the paper or its publisher was
opposed to the disgraceful conditions
prevailing in Clearwater county when
the present editor of the Republican
came here and took up the fight?
1t is we'll for the people to stop and
consider these things. Clearwater
county would not have been dry in
j fact these past fifteen months had the
( Orofino Tribune and the men who run
it and dictate it's policy continued in
power? Better conditions prevail in
spite of these people and this paper,
and, in fact, over their protest.
| If the Tribune had had its way we
would have had two years more of
Sheriff AL Harper; two years more of
Holsclaw as Prosecuting attorney !;
two years more of LaDuke, Lester
Smith, Booze, houses of prostitution,
drunken county officials and the usual
train of fostering, noXious things that
shame womanhood, debauch manhood,
blights our boys as they start on life s
t journey, a menace TO home, an enemy
to society, violator of law, an enc
my of the state.
/ And the Orofino Tribune, with four
years of misspent opportunity, would
turn back the hands of time, turn the
republican officials out of power, and
once more place Clearwater county in
the hands of party under whose adj
ministration vice and crime flourished.