The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1916-12-09
BANKER AND MERCHANT CALL
DRY" LAWS A FARCE
AND FAllACY
TRADE DECLINES
Business Men, Farmers and
Taxpayers Suffer From Evil
Effects Of Sumptuary Legis.
lation While Much Liquor Is
Consumedat Enormous Prices

The detrimental effect Of prohibi.
ton upon the business man, the tax.
payer and the farmer is shown In
newspaper interviews with two busi.
ness men Of the dry" states of Wash.
ingtou and Idaho. The Butte (Mont)
Miner, which printed the Interviews.
says:
Fred NJ. Hinkley. q banker OF
Charleston. Wash. who has been n
Butte on business. says that proh!bi.
ton in Washington IS not only farce,
but that II has hurt business TO a
remarkable degree. Property values
have deprecated. while there has
been burden OF taxes taken from the
citizens, and the working Of the law
recently voted by tins people OF the
state is turning out In just the same
fashion as elsewhere In SOC allied dry"
territory. he said.
Can you get a drink IN Washing
TOM" Mr.. Hiniley was asked.
Get a drink" Uh, you can get
world aud lltt,e bit OF good liluor
II you want to pay triple the price
that ordinarily prevails, and tie price
10 being paid.
a. roeteceIru oaIsrs.
The working OF the prohibition law
In Washington Is the same as in other
states, not only In the west, but in
tho east as we'll. There Ia bootiegsilg
galore and the situation Las become
vile continued Mr.. H.nkley. For
instance. the man who would never
think OF taking sme with him a
quart OF liquor. nj who would be
satisfied wiJh a drink or two al an
open bar, now must yet Z lot OF
rot gut in quarts ana piats. The man
With money can, Of course, secure
all he wants and at a iGir price, but
II. working man, the laDorer with
family, who wants little sdmu!ar,
after hard days work, has 10 d.E
down deep TO secure a personal priyi
lege
Not only that. in respect 20 drink
ing, but the community Is suAer.l
directly from the effects OF the law
A burden OF taxation viii have TO he
placed 10 meet the running expenses
Of every city, county and the a.ate.
Idaho Man Ia Ks.
y. w. Green, a well.known business
man OF Idaho, who makes his head
quarters in Lewiston. Ida, was also
in the city yesterday and had about
the same story to tell.
He says that 1t is getting almost.
impossible TO secure farm and orchard
labor In his locality, for the simple
reason that men won't work in dry"
territory, yet Idaho is far from being
dry.
The farmer Is suffering, the or
chardist is suffering and the business
centsrs are suffering" says Mr.. Green
People who vote for prohibition
don't stop to consider all the angles
The farmer and his help, who used te
visit ut periods some business centei
|, nnd II unnecessary. They 90 there
only to get what they actually need
: to return home with most OF the
money they brought with them.
sH.~ About Business Man7
The larger cities OF Idaho are abso-
, would make trip 10 the city from his
farm. with his money to spend. he
would also take along with It littls
relaxation. He would take . drink or
two, 70 to q show, visit his favorits
merchants and spend his money freely
but iudiciousIy. and return homo with
Q little bit Of the small amount OF
, happiness doled out In this world.
Now It's all changed. The man who
has to 60 to town does his 50 per cent
less business, returns to his farm or
, country home ~ quickly as he can
and leaves the business man or mer,
chant standing sadly in the doorway,
Prohibition II the greatest fallacy
fhA world has eYsr seen among many