The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1916-12-30
SHERIFF TELLS DETROIT NEWS STAFF CORRESPONDENT
OF PROHIBITIONS FAILURE IN MAINE, THE
ORIGINAL DRY STATE
K|OO|ES F|ND THE BUSINESS PROFITABLE
Act As Spies, Looko"ts ard Liquor Carriers "Kcen Bars"
Are Fav0rie Resorts Officials Poweross to Curb Illicit
Traffic Which DebauChes Young and Old


assured a crowded house that condi.
tions in Wcg rrok had never been as
bad as then. they were about to
conclude the program / went to the
front OF the hall and demanded to bs
heard. To my surprise | was applaud.
ed. Permission was given me to speak.
/ said | had heard their complaints
made in that public place. but had
never received complaint from any
one Of them on which | could act In
my capacity rs sheriff that had ap.
pointed deputies for Westbrook with
Instructions to enforce the law strin-
gently because that was what the town
had voted for. it having cast its vote
against me and my platform that pro.
hibit,on Is failure. I wanted to give
tGcm what they he'd voted for as thor.
ouSE,y rs | could. told them that
aSy citizen amcnE them who would
come T. me with a complaint and facts
on which | could act would get re-
salts Us far as the law would reach.
Not one Of them either at that time
or a. anr ether made such complaint
o. offered rng any assistance in enforc.
.Hs the law in Westbrook So say
am remrird OF the insincerity Of
some of iho prohibitionists.
y r1y you could not stop the ssle
Of liGucr in a place like this II you
hcd all the money and all the meA
van "o2ld get IT work. 1t simply cot
he GcTe. Ycp would not get more than
srocn:ul ont Of gallon. Here n
the water front miles in extent am
hrrfTe1s Of motor boats. Here ~
TIE railroads. And here are the ststov
h'ghwaya with the state line only tVo
ours e;r"" by automobile. When q
sst predecessor Was trying to enfcrcS
NO law there were half a dozen ma.
chimes making dGily runs to Ports.
-aorth each bringing back gallons OF
H. | h-Nevc he caught two automo.
5.cs While lie was in Office.
He L2:s Salcons Run.
at e'rlriy is nc: in the ooks to STOP
I've tc9l4c n the s.uff. they can do
What they He and say what they like.
,;ryw. WIZ, We have had more than
- amendments 10 the prohibition law.
t:yirC 10 make IL drastic enough 70
become effective, and il never hAs
reached anything like, effectiveness. L
have in mind one man here who served
an aggregate of between FIVE and six
years in Jail and paid fines OF not les~
than en- aggregate of $4,000, and you
cou'd not make him stop His son n
running a place here now.
Under my administration permit
n certain number of them to remai,
o"en where cen see what they ara
DONG. They have to close at 10
O'clock every night, which means 10,
AID not 1901, and they know II. Sat
u'day night they have to close at 1850.
and that means 7:3O. Sunday thew
riust be closed and they must be
closed on every holiday, on election
coy and on every other occasion
where there Ia any unusual excite
ment and crowd in the city, as when
there 10 a circus IN town. When there
there was an encampment of soldier.
mere they were closed for 10 days.
They obey because they know of what
VIII be done to them IL they do not
IN tact | can close them all inside of
an T. n at any time.
Can't Suppress Traffic,
The prohibitionists say II Won can
close them for a day or 10 days or a,
sundays or holidays, that proves you
can close them for good. It does I
admit It, But II does not prove that
can suppress the liquor traffic. which
as | understand II, is the purpose az
the prohibition law, at least In theory
In practice | am afraid il Is used A
TIE playthlng OF politics more thar
as real sincere, honest agency for
the suppression of what is admittedly
a great evil against which mankind
mas been and is struggling, know
ABOUT the evil of it. have seen mneh
or H. know that the man who com..
10 the jail to serve sentence m,
drunkenness is not the man who huv.
a. drink across the bar OF n saloon
He Is the bottle buyer. He drirs.
diluted alcohol ana he Is a .steaSv
hoarder' al the jail. He and his kind
keep up the halfpint trade.
can say much more against N.
srog shop drug store than against the
open bar where beer and ale are on
arau' The saloon can close. but the
dfug store is open for business A,
and night. Some of them are AZ - e
nours i a day They sell the half pint.
,Ihey are the worst offenders and ~
harusst 10 convict, because thew a.
permitted under the law TO have iiouos
on !he premises. And yet, TO advocate
ana carry out what Ia manifestlv A.,
the best interest Of the community Va.
nave 10 bear the stigma of beins caI.
ed CRATER and load yourself M vttn
enemies. l am glad TO savI..