The Detroit times., 1916-06-22
A BOOze-BOssed Council
Helps the Red-NOsed Ring
Punish Il Dry Newspaper

The Times has some pretty positive
convictions against booze.
1t is the opinion of this newspapeI
that the real curse and the real playa,
of our nation today is alcoholic licenS
ed sale of it in drinks
This opinion has been freely expressed
by The Times upon many occasions.
It has not been pleasing to distiller,
to have us call a spade a spade, or pol
son poison, and denounce their unholy
traffic
1t has not been pleasing to the brewers
1t wasn't pleasing to them when we
denied them, along with distillers, the adj
vertising columns Of The Times, to in
crease their sales and make more
drunkards.
1t has not been pleasing to the Royal
Ark, the political organization of saloon
keepers.
1t has not been pleasing to politicians
with beer and whisky interests to serve.
1t has not been pleasing to lawyers re-
tanned by the beer and whisky inter-
ests.
1t has not been pleasing to newspa-
pers carrying beer and whisky adver-
Using to have The Times identify them
with the sales department of the traffic,
and force them to abandon the boisterous
drunk of their pages and switch to still
jags.
When bids for the official city print
ing were requested this year, and The
Times was found to be the only daily
newspaper bidding, against the Legal
News, which is a class newspaper and
not daily newspaper with a circulation
in the homes, as required by the char
ter, the red-nosed booze ring, whose
parts we have just described, concluded
that an opportunity was presented to
PUNISH The Times
The Times did not get the printing
contract despite the fact that it was, ac-
cording to the opinion of its attorney
the only bidder within the charter speci-
fications, and was PUNISHED.
The fact that we lost the contract is
we realize fully, matter of dollars and
\. cents concerning ourselves, but the
MANNER IN WHICH WE LOST IT is
we have to believe, of interest to every
taxpayer in Detroit and to every either
of Detroit who respects decency or whC
feels that the common council Of Detroit
is a representative body responsive t
decent sentiment.
When The Times was found to be the
only newspaper bidding for the contract
the red-nosed booze ring presented it
self before the printing committee oil
the council and began to lobby against
The Times, to PUNISH The Times fol
the fight it has made against booze
The distiler, whom we had dispeased
was there
The brewer, whom we had peeved, was
there.
The representative of the Royal Ark,
the grogshop proprietor against whom
we decided long ago, in favor of the
HOME, was there.
The politician with beer and whisky
interests to serve. whom we have de.
nounced, was there.
The lawyer late in the pay of the
brewers was there.
All these lobbyists for booze were
there, including the beer and whisky
newspapers.
All around as thick as flies and as bus,
as bees, intent on getting their revenge
for BOOZE.
The committee reported against TIL,
Times, or publicity for the acts of tn,
aldermen, in favor of burying the pro
ceedings in a class publication making
no showing of home circulation to give
the acts of the common council publicity
And the report of the committee wa.