Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-01
John Hill, 124 Main street

William Steiniger. 20S2l0 W. Third
street,
John G. Meier, 1902 Division street.
Alfred Moetzel, 101 f. Second
street
Official announcement that the
liquor dealers would fight the dry
move in Iowa and would test the
validity of the act which repealed the
mulct law was made by Bolilnger &
Block, attorneys for the liquor inter-
ests. The suit is bona fide legal
test, MIR. Block stated yesterday, and
in no manner an attempt at evasion
Of the law, The saloons to form the
test case will open Monday. Attorney
General Cosson VIII be here to begin
suit against them.
All day yesterday the saloon men
were busy disposing of their stocks
and they had no surplus on hand
when the clock struck last evening.
Both OF the local breweries, the
Davenport Mating company and the
Independent Brewing company, work
ed night and day to cart their goods
out Of Davenport, to be dry for the
first time in its history. The beer
went to Rock Island in big moving
vans and on the brewing companies
trucks. There were q wagonloads OF
beer bound for Rock Island on Second
street at one time yesterday after
noon.
The saloon keepers also made an
| attempt to pay the. first quarter of
their mulct tax to the county treas
urer, but Treasurer Charles Robson
accepted the $3.50 which each of the
six saloon men paid in yesterday for
the six months city license tax.
| At practically every one of the SO
| odd Davenport saloons yesterday
! liquor sales, sometimes auction sales
were in progress. The saloonmen
men disposing of their stocks OF
wines and liquors at cutthroat rates
One Becomes Butcher.
/ One saloonkeeper, August A. Keim
/ 1870 West Seventh street, yesterday
decided TO become a grocer and a
| butcher instead of proprietor of a
thirst parlor and he accordingly pur-
chased the business Of Louis T. Bur-
meister directly across the street from
him. Last night at o'clock he turn
/ ed the key in the front door OF his
/ saloon and walked across the street
and begain weighing meat instead OF
drawing beer
/ The Davenport private clubs are
also planning to close up and to have
+ dry lockers from now on. Last night
was their last stand and most of them
had big celebrations to commemorate
/ the OCCASION.
Statement of Attorneys.
! Mr. Block when seen yesterday, had
this to say:
Our firm has been retained by the
/ local liquor dealers to defend them
| in a case, or a number of cases, that
may be brought against such saloon
keepers as shall be selected to con-
tinue in business for the purpose OF
! making a test case.
| There has been a great deal OF
speculation on the part of the public
as to what, If anything, would be
done, but we have not been in a posi-
ton to make any public statement
! u bac JnE
nitely decided until now. We feel
now that the public is entitled to
/ know that the question of the validity
! of the act repeating what is known as
| the mulct law is to be tested in the
courts. For that reason yJs may now
state that a case will be tried for the
/ sole purpose of testing the validity OF
the law.
No Effort at Evasion.
THE press have raised a number
of important questions in regard to
the validity Of the repeating act, and
many other questions have been rails
ed by good lawyers throughout the
state. After a careful inyestiga-
/ iton of these questions, we feel that
they are of sufficient importance tc
merit a conscientious and thorough
trial
The action on the part of the liquor
dealers is by no means an effort tC
evade the law, nor to defy it. On
the contrary, it is good faith effort
to have the legal questions involved
finally determined by the courts.
Under the circumstances that sur
round this particular community, il
would seem to be of the greatest i'm
portance to know exactly what the
effect of the repeating act is. If it il
valid, the saloons will be put out O
business. and it is believed that this
20 iiSad