The daily progressive-miner., 1916-10-30
CORRECTING 4 REPORT THAT'S
 MISLEADING
Which Is Being Circulated Throughout This Part
 Of Division.

have very HtJle eEect, II at dli on the result of the election, as the voters have a mind of their own. yet the fact that it is misleading, demands d cor rection. The fight between the drys and the vets should be Galr h view of that fact, the opinion 0n ghe Qdes- ton of the Daily Empire. of Juneau the best newspaper in the territory is given below as it appears in its issue of the 24th. The article follows:
 Prohibition In Seattle And Alaska.
 The Dry Forces" in Juneau in their advertising matter are quoting JHe Editor of the Seattle Times in an ef- fort to refute the contention of The Empire that an intolerabie condition of Iawlessness would result from any attempt to enforce prohibition in A. aska until this Territory secures gov ernment machinery that would place crime-prevenSing powers behind the law They quote excerpts from an article signed by C. E. Blathen which appeared in The Seattle Times Of October 16. to justify their position. The excerpts contain those portions of Mir. Bletheu's letter in which he ez- presses the opinion that the general results of the Washington law have improved old conditions.
 However. this same article from the pen of MT. Ble5hen. considered as a whole. completely just.aes the position of The Empire.
 To start with gGe State ef Washing ton has not prohibition. The law in that State does uo5 contemplate pre- hibition. It permits anybody to pur chase liquor in limited quantities by taking out permits 70 t5 that. 1Ir Blethep contends that Inc permit sys- tem is not broad enough. tat it is SO restricted that il does ao PERMIT OF THE fMPOBTAToE JT ENOUGH ALCOHOLIC BHEEH als TO TAKE AWAY THE INCENTIVE T3 BREAK THE LAW Thcretote fa. Times is urging the adoption Of initiative 5-aas- ures that ViIl permit lie maaHta# Ura of liquor in the State which contains not to exceed four per cent o alcohol and to permit the sale C. such liquors at regulated liquor stores end sdcir 11eo il, r,ublfs 1ifzir1r- f-9a71a
 MT. Blethens article referred to contains the following in addition 10 what appears in the Dry" advertising matter:
 50 far as The Times and is editor are concerned. they will always labor first, to keep the saloon from reuu- ing, and second, in the general cause of temperance. But-the word tenn perance' is here used AND NOT CPROHIBITIOND,
 When the present liquor law was framed great care was taken to make the measure one expressing temper ance rather than prohibition Pro visions were more CT less carefully thought out under which reasonable quantities of liquor could be secured for home consumption.
 The framers Of the law thoaglf they were thus providing against the bulk Of probable bootieeging and gen eral illicit handling Of liquor They thought they had so framed the law that no such gigantic series of crim inal rings would grow out Of the na- tural desire of certain men to get the alcohol they craved, as has sprung in- to existence in Seattle.
 Their failure to accomplish this purpose is well exemplided here in this city. The permit system was too constructing to permit of the importa- tion of enough alcoholic beverages to take away the incentive to break the law
 "The result was inevitable. It fell to the city administration and it's po- lice force to determine whether the law should be enforced honestly or not The events of the past week speak for themselves.
 
 q haven't the slightest idea that it will have a chance at the polls. The majority of the people Of the State are so thoroughly satisfied with our liquor law they wouldn't change any part of it for anything in the world That doesn't change my right 10 my private opinion that '2l Initiative measure referred to). would prevent to considerable degree the INCENTIVE that exists for corrupt men to form conspiracies to break the law that. an unsatisfed demand may be met"
 The Washington law permits every man Or woman over the age Of 2t years to purchase Gour-and-a-half gal. Ions of whiskey and 54 gallons of beer a year Mir Blethen says this is not enough to take away the incentive to break the law, therefore ''frightful