The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1916-12-23
SHERIFF TELLS DETROIT NEWS STAFF CORRESPONDENT
OF PROHIBITIONS FAILURE IN MAINE, THE
ORIGINAL DRY STATE
K|OD|ES FIND THE BUSINESS PROFITABLE
Act As Spies Lcokonts and Liquor Carriers Kichen Bars"
Are Favor.e Resorts Officials Powero8s TO Curb Illicit
Traffic Which Debauches Young and Cid
1 hv -n- vcrlous speakers who

abused by tr- yer'ous speakers who
assured q c 'ol house that condi.
lions IN We .a had never been as
lad as then they were about to
coaC'a1r 20 .eg.an | went to tho
front o. o.. H-. and demanded 20 b..
heard To .-y -u-prise was applaud.
cd. P,rli-gi was ~.yen me to syeak
sail [ had lc-cd their ccmp.a nts
made IN that pub'ic place, but had
never received complaint from any
one OF them On which | could act In
pci-taI deputies for Westbrook with
Instructions TO crfc-ce the law strn.
gently because tha. . .s what the town
had voted fc. II having east its vote
against me and my platform that pro-
hihit'0' r q fc..J.c. | wanted to give
tacM what they lad voted for as thor
ouch.y as J could | told them that
any citizen among them who would
ccmc . nc wl.h 2 complaint and facts
on which ! could act would get re-
suits as r.r &C the law would reach.
Not ore ot them either at that time
or a. 0re 0r-cr made such complaint
or Offered r'a any assistance in enforc.
tvs he 'as IN Wosibrook. So I say
nm rcr. u.ca O. tho insincerity Of
sor0e OF o." proh'bitionlsts.
Il say you could not stop the sale
o. liquor " n place like this II you
had al tho money and all the men
vnu could rot 0t work. II simply can't
hc Gc~e. vou would not get more than
a spoonful cut Of a gallon. Here Is
the vatDr c:Crg niles in extent and
hundreds ns motor boats. Here are
the railroads. fui here are the statA
Highways w.th the state line only two
hours lw7~ bv automobile. When Ef
last predecessor was trying to enforck
;lc lew .rn-5 were half dozen ma,
,hlres rs,~g daily runs TO Ports.
uCuth C- ,r'n-,Cg back gallons OF
e. believe he caught two automo-
l!,cs While he was in Office.
He L.s.s e'loons Run.
"It SIN ~ IS rot In the books to stop
The tr7Hc In the stuG. They can do
what thcy N'-o and say what they like
know. Whv, we have had more than
CO amen '--c~'7 - tho prohibition law.
trying to ra'a 70 drastic enough to
become effective and II never has
reached anything ike effectiveness. I
) have In n'9d ono man here who served
an aSE~S-gta Of hc.ween five and six
years in i5i and paid anes OF not less
than an a~y~aga'e OF $12 900, and you
, cou'd not make him stop His son Ia
l ruun'"s q Place here now.
, "Ugier my administration I permit
: n certain number OF them 10 remain
+. c7cH whore 7 can see what they are
doiu-. They hove TO close at 10
, o'clock every night, which means 10.
q and not l1:gl, and they know IT, Sat.
: urday u.Sht they have to close at 1880,
5 and that means 7:S0. Sunday they
: rlust be closed ard they must bs
a closed on every holiday on election
5 day, and on every other occasion
s wherc there Is any unusual excite
y mcct ana q crowd IN the city, as when
I there Is a circus IN town. When there
\ there was IN cnccmpment OF soldiers
here thoy were closed for ID days.
y They obey because they know OF what
, will be done q them II they do not
D In fact | can close them all inside Of
an h-rr 81 any time.
/. 9 c,u't eurprees Traffic.
s The Dr5hi1!t.oulsts say IL you can
! close them for day or 10 days or on
:. Sundays or holidays, that proves you
e can close them fer good. II does. I
:. admit H. But Il does not prove that
:. can suppress tho LIQUOR trsfic. which,
s as ! understand H. is the purpose OF
c the prohibition law, al least in theory.
e In practice | ON afraid II is used As
n the p.aything Of politics more than
'. as real sincere, honest agency 70.
the suppression a. what is admittedly
Il great evil against which mankind
i has been and Is struggling. know
II about the evil OF Il, have seen much
II OF ii. ! know that the man who comes
10 the Jail TO serve a sentence for
drunkenness Is not the man who buys
drink across the bar OF saloon,
: He is the bottle buyer. He drinks
:, diluted alcohol and he is a steady
: bosrder' az the Jail He and his kind
a keep up the hali.pint trade.
: Il can say much more against the
: grog shop drug store than against the
: open bar where beer and ale are on
a draft The saloOn can close, but the
y drug store is open for. business day
: : and might Some OF them are at II 70
:, hours a day. They sell the half pints'
= They are The worst offenders and the
;, hardest to convict, because they are
y permitted under the law TO have liquor
;, on the premises. And yet, TO advocate
;, and carry ont what is manifestly TOR
:, the best interest Of the community You
= have TO bear tho stigma of being can
= = ed a CRATER and load yourself up w'n