The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1917-01-25
b0NEDRYLAW|S
ABLY DISCUSSED
SENATOR CARLISLE DEFINES HIS
POSITION ON MEASURE AND
COUNSELS CARE
SHOULD TRUST ANTI. SALOON LEAGUE
AS Chairman Of Temperance Commit.
tee Senator Carlisle Promises
Open Fair Treatment To All

The following is a statement which
had prepared and expected to read
at the Nj. E. church last Sunday even
ing but on account of the storm | did
not attend the meeting which | TO-
regret for | understand there was n
goodly number present. | am there
fore offering it for publication lest
some might think | was trying to
eyade stating my position.
M. G.. Carlisle.
IF in making this statement | take
occasion to offer advice as to how the
friends of prohibition should act at
this critical stage l trust one will
consider me presumptious nor miscon-
strue my statements or motives.
Il suppose you are most interested
in the attitude of members of the legis-
lature toward the bill introduced last
Wednesday in both senate and house
(Senate Bill So and House Bill 1927
commonly mentioned as the Holsaple
bill.
THE bill has been in process of
writing for some weeks. The Anti
Saloon League has offices in the Hyde
block and Mr.. Holsaple, Mr.. Hunt and
Mr.. Miller. the Anti Saloon League
attorney, have been busy writing the
hin apd raooiyipo ~oaJIorc
For about ten days prior to the com
pletion of the bill nightly conferences
of the friends of prohibition have been
held at these offices with from twelve
to twenty men present. Free discus
sion has been invited and had at these
meetings and usually a poll of those
present has been taken as to whether
We should present which is % called
a bone dry law or one permitting
limited shipments to individuals for
personal and private use as a beverage
under rigid restrictions. At three
meetings which ! attended the total
vote was 20 for bone dry law and 80
for the other. These men were of
course all members of the Legislature.
"Of the 80 | think a large majority
would rather have a bone dry law If
they did not doubt the result of its
adoption. 1t is thought by those that
there were many thousand men voted
for adoption of the prohibition amend.
ment last fall whose principal motive
our state and who occasionally drink
intOXicants and perhaps keep a little
liquor at home and are willing that
others should do likewise. The que
ton is what will be the attitude of
these men toward a bone dry law and
if r~esentful will they suffer a revulsion
of sentiment sufficient to make them
supporters Of a movement for resub-
mission. If so, then would it not be
wiser and better calculated to per
petuate the prohibition sentiment to
adopt a law along the lines of the
HOlsaple bill?
81 feel that at this time | should give
you my impression of Mr.. Holsaple's
attitude in the whole matter.
"He has invariably started the dis
cussion by saying that there exists a
difference of opinion among the friends
of prohibition and that the purpose of
the meetings was to try and settle the
question of how dry to make the bill
He has also stated that the law could
that he had learned through long ex-
%perience that he could not always get
what he wanted when he wanted it.
81 think no friend of Mr.. HOlsaple'S
who knows him well accuses him Of
being cowardly or weakened. Ger
tainly no friend of his should enter
tain a suspicion that Mr.. HOlsaple is
trying to betray the cause Of prohi-
bition or that he has sold out to the
enemy. Personally l have all con-
fdence in his sincerity and integrity.
During the conferences mentioned
the proposed law was freely discussed
and daily rewritten and as the final
draft was completed on the day the
bill was introduced it will not be
surprising if errors and defects are
detected therein. All the latest prohi-
bition laws have been consulted and 1t
is Mr.. Holsaple's opinion that this bill
embodys all the best features Of the
strongest laws known.
"Of course you understand that the
am ndment adopted last fall is not
what is commonly termed a bone dry