The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-07-24
GET OUT AND VOTE.

In the Prohibition parade at St.
Paul during the recent National Pro-
Libition convention appeared a float
in which an old washer-woman was
bending over a tub scrubbing away
while her daughter was turning the
wringer. In corner sat drunken
sop, her husband, stupidity embracing
and fondling his bottle of beer. Over
the float hung the sign, "This Woman
Will Lose Her Job if Prohibition
Wins" The spectators enjoyed the
subtle humor immensely and freely
applauded.
Just so you. should enjoy some of
the humorous arguments of the
liquor men which, when analysed,
show more dire effects than that of
the poor washer-woman losing her
job. Laugh at them when they tell
you that the town or county will go
on the rocks without the licenses
from saloons; laugh at them when
they tell you that the farmer will
have no place to sell his grain if the
breweries close; laugh at them when
they tell you that the laborer will
lose his job with the passing Of the
saloons; laugh at them on general
principles when they talk to you for
they have laughed long enough at us
because of the ease with which they
have duped us with their specious
arguments.
When they talk to you now laugh
at them and tell them to produce the
statistics to back up their state
ments. They will then be up against
it for you will be ready to show them
in cold figures that in every state,
county and city where prohibition
went into effect, financial, economical
and social conditions were greatly
bettered. Those interested in the
cause of prohibition have gathered
and tabulated these statistics and
they are now available to everyone
who is interested. And the unhappy
saloon. men are unable to success
fully dispute them.
They see the handwriting on the
wall but they are going to hang on
and make as much profit as they
can before they are finally closed
out. Their strength lies in the fact
that they persuade their followers
by others than arguments. The
drink itself is one of the strongest
arguments and you may be sure they
3 are liberal with these Fragments"
' around election time. Their strength
lies in the fact that many young men
think that to be smart and grown-up
they must drink and swear, but for
tunately this sentiment is rapidly
passing away. Their strength and
perhaps their greatest strength lies
in the fact that they appreciate their
own weakness and the precarious
condition they are now in. They see
that in order to carry out their ne
farious trade they must get out and
fight and they employ every means
to win. On August IA the liquor
men will see that everyone who
wants saloons in Beltrami county will
get out and vote to that effect.
- Our weakness lies in this very
same direction. Everyone Of you
think possibly that the question does
not effect you so vitality after all; you
do not drink to excess and no great
harm will befall you even if there
are saloons in the county; if the
poor drunken fools don't know
enough to stay sober and save their
money, why, that is their lookout,
not yours. T..
But is it?
Can't you see that you are just as
vitality interested in this election as
the saloonmen?
Every cent they lose is directly
your gain. The money that would
have been squandered on liquor will
when the saloons are abolished be
distributed to the products which
you have to SELL, be it farm products,
merchandise or labor.
Cant you see that by not voting
on August IA you are practically
voting for the saloons?
Get out to the polls on that day,
leave your work for a short time and
vote one way or the other, but vote.
Express your convictions and don't
let someone else run your government
for you. You can do yourself more
good on that day by voting than you
could earn in full week Of hard
work. Il you don't vote on that day