The Nome daily nugget., 1916-09-08
WHERE THE
 BLAME LIES

never have been born. Prohibition IS the erect of the misconduct of the interior saloon, and the prohibitionists are now named the Anti Saloon Lea que. They have ceased fighting drink as a concrete proposition, and are aim ing at the cause of drunkenness-the saloon. And it Is entirely the crooked, unintelligent and amateur players in the saloon game who are to blame for 1t all.
 As business, supplying the real or fancied needs of mankind, giving man. kind what mankind considers tempor- ary or permanent relief of a physical nature, the saloon is as legitimate as
 urug store. Ii the saloon is run as the drug stores is, it is a question if there IS not more harm done from the dispensation of drugs than from the dispensation of the beverages which the saloon sells. It is the abuse of the provinces of the saloon which causes the prohibition movement to grow, and winch is putting whole states and counties in the dry column. Because the saloon interests cannot or will not 'wlll not is better, for they could if they would-regulate or control for the better the conduct of the saloon and it's relation to the welfare of man. .,md. prohibition is growing and four hing. The prohibitionist honestly knows and realizes that prohibition cannot and does not prohibit mankind from drinking, but he does know that 1t does prohibit the saloon business from menacing the country and he strikes directly at the saloon, which is killing the game through it's inferior players.
 Every time a federal judge in Alas ka closes" a town or prosecutes a liquor seller, it is the fault of the li- quor seller. No judge on the federal bench in Alaska and no judge who ever sat on our federal bench is after the saloon. The rotten saloon makes the department of justice take action, and the result is the vindica- lion of justice and law and order and he punishment of the wrongdoing sa- loon man.
 Every particle of disfavor which the saloon enpoys anywhere is the fault of the saloonkeepers who do not know how a saloon should be conducted or who will not conduct a saloon in the right way. The saloonkeepers of Fair banks are entirely to blame for any sentiment there may be against the saloon in this camp, for it lies in their power to correct all evils of the saloon business.
 It lies in the power of the decen. competent saloonmen of Fairbanks ta restrict the number of saloons in Fair ;tnks and confine business to compe- tent hands. If they do not do this, it is their own fault, and nobody else is
 
 every applicant for saloon license, and if the best element in the business would organize and when they see a saloon application presented which they know is not for the good of the business to be granted, would appear against the granting of such license,
 
 ed. And, when the saloonmen of Fair banks start to "get busy" upon George Buffers advice, they should realize that the only way they can intelligent ly and effectively get real busy for the preservation of the game is to get busy Il regulating the saloon itself until the drunkenness is taken out of drink and the evil effects and evil teachings of the inferior saloon are eliminated rom the saloon business in Alaska.
 In opposing prohibition in Alaska we have no sympathy for the saloon man. Whatever he may be up against in the fight is the fault of the players or his game. The Saloonman is en- titled to no sympathy. for every in- telligent saloonman knows that the drunk in drunkenness is no good bus iiness for him, does not get the money in his business and brings him noth- ing but criticism and blame. Saloon men on the outside (particularly in California; are realizing conditions as they are and are beginning to help to protect themselves-by regulating and correcting the saloons and their conduct. The better class of saloon- keepers in California have organized themselves into the Buffet Owners As- sociation, and in the saloons of that association, no man who is under the