Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-25
WITH THE PRIMARY A WEEK AWAY.

The main objection to comparison As
"odious" arises invariably from the
dimin utive. The superlative and even
the comparative do not object
Comparison between prohibition
such prohibition as we have in Iowa
now. and license or mulct is not ohjec-
tionable to prohibitionists. On the con-
trary they welcome it, 1t carries the
preponderance of evidence.
The evidence is everywhere and alb
solute. The police court is star wit
ness for the prosecution of j. Barley
corn. Recall how the old time police
reporter used TO find column Of police
court news written in an allegeoiy
humorous way, stories Of DRINKS and
tramps and laborers and househoiders
Of minor type jocularly chronicled Tor
the amusement Of those who read the
awkward explanations, the comedy
of the police court culled from its utter
tragedy as a group of morbid sight
seers might joke while waiting for the
norgue to open and display its mute
and mangled evidence OF accident
Somehow Of late the fun has gone out
Of it. That style Of police court news
has gone out. We learned in time THAI
It was not funny when a line Of men
and women. drunk and disorderly'
lined I'D, human wreckage, like food
drift. smeared, muddy, shameful. The
tragedy OF it OVERRIDE the false COM
edy. 1t became as funny as a funeral.
Little by little we began to under
stand and understanding grew. We be-
gan to count cost. And as soon as u
cost system is installed against booze
the games over. We missed Jim So
andso after we laid him away self
poisoned by liquor; We counted up the
others that had gone the same way
and fingers and toes weren't enough
to number Our friends on who had
taken that route into the undiscovered
country. We didn't find 1t funnier
than an overdraft end 50 on and 80
forth the indictment against booze
grew. We discovered that the saloontst
was not a good citizen; that his gifts
to public enterprise and welfare were
plain brides and nothing else. He
didn't want better town. but a worse
one for he knew that the worse the
town the better his business flourished.
We came to despise the whisky drug
store, while we patronized 1t sneak
ingly because it tempted men to de-
stroy themselves and their families.
And In time aroused decercy and pub
lie spirit enough in ourselves to he
sufficiently ashamed OF ourselves 10
put the thing away and refuse It placa
Begin com parison right there. Work
backward and forward from that as
a demical point. Size UP your own
community. Look for the line tina,
stood up before the police court now.
Button, button, who's got the button
They aren't there. Some Of them are
busy on good Jobs and are caring fol
their families Some are dead and some
have fled. But size 1t up. Ask the
butcher and baker and grocerymau.
OF course. all Of US desire to con-
tinue conditions so beneficial? Not al
of lis. The liquor interests have never
given up. At present they seek to de.
feat the federal prohibition amend
ment in Iowa That about two thirds
Of the states have ratified It makes
their necessity more urgent. So the,
are talking Of light wines and beers
and personal liberty and carrying on {
still hunt for assemblymen who will
work to their hand. Any candidate
who is willing to take it and give hi
pledge can have all the silent none.
he can use in his election campaign
The submarines Of the liquor interest!
are working in the slime Of Iowa from
end to end of the state where a chance
presents itself. Now and then peri
scope sticks up and gives the thins
away.
The primary is little more than
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