The Nome daily nugget., 1916-08-25
TIME TO THINK

Nneu the prohibition question Was 1 put Lp the state of Washington t 3s
 impossible to nake the business mon
 of the state. especially the liquor
 dealers, themselves believe that pro-
 hibition could possibly be put upon | Washington-that state never had 1 been dry" consequently it never
 could be: the barkeep had been sell ing booze all his life; consequently you could not convince him that he would ever be denied the right to sell
 malt or spirituous beverages in the
 state of Washington. For the senti-
 ment of the thing and for their re-
 luctance to say word or do a public
 act in opposition to the work of the
 women and some of the ministers, pro
 hibition was not openly or by com
 plete organization fought in Washing
 ton, The breweries and the liquor
 men increased their advertising in the local papers. more for prevention of those papers. openly assisting prohibi- | tion than for work against it. The
 newspapers took little part in the fight,
 not caring to oppose generally the
 proposition and having no desire to
 support it. The business men and the
 liquor interests held mammoth
 closed" meeting in Seattle one night
 to consider the proposition confront
 ing them. and il was the general sense
 of the meeting that the thing was a
 joke-that prohibition could never
 carry in Washington and that there
 was no need of fighting the theorists
 and visionaries who believed they
 could make the state dry" George Butler, formerly of Fairbanks. stood up in the meeting and told those men that, let any crazy man stump the streets of Seattle with any crazy idea that his crazed mind might evolve, i continue to agitate for his idea and be all the time unopposed by those vitaiiy interested in seeing that no craziness creep into the system of things, and it k only question of lime until that man and his idea have | following, and that it is possible for such following to, unopposed reach a strength which is sufficient to put that crazy idea to work there And. the | liquor men and the business men of | seattle laughed George to scorn The | result was prohibition in Washington. 1
 Washington. like Alaska. was never i intended 10 be dry" Their popula- | lions and business interests as well as 1 .heir civic interests, are against pro ] hibition. Yet, they are dry" in Wash | neton because the people did not ap- | oreciate the danger and fight for their | own best interests. They are sorry | LOW, and the newspapers and the min | sters of the local churches are fight
 Ing the condition which exists because | hey would not fight the danger when | threatened. Those same business men in February, by committee. wait
 d upon George Butler ano asked hin
 if he would not take charge of the
 work of replacing Washington in the
 wet" ranks. and he told them that ! he could not be induced to do so.
 @slly. Rev. Matthews SeattIe's most popular minister, from the pulpit | scores prohibition as it is working in | 'eattle and as d workable civic propo- | sition Cardinal Gibbons and many
 'ther noted divines also openly op- 1ose prohibition upon any and every | )ccasion) The business men of Seat |
 le found out that just what was told | ,hem would happen, did happen. with | he coming of prohibition. They found | put that the reduced revenues must be | made up, and by themselves. and they
 TO not doing it. The city is heavily | mortgaged and is jumping sideways |
 tr money to keep going on. Reduced avenues mean reduced paying DOW i
 r, in every town and always. It .ould not be otherwise. Also, apathy
 aj the neglect to do protective work time spells ruin or less in any