Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-30


YOU want to hear both sides of the
prohibition question in order that
YOU, as Jurors IL the case, may rem
der a Just verdict on April second.
You are. familiar with prohibition
arguments. They are invariably
based upon three things-assump-
tion. assertion and imagination.
Some times they are buttressed by
fraud. faIsehoOd and Islander.
Proponents Of prohibition want
TO make Rock Island dry. They be-
lieve the end justifies their mean
ness.
Municipal perfection is as i'm
possible as personal perfection. We
seek the ideal, but never attain it.
This is true of individuals, com
munities. states and nations.
Nobody denies but that house
cleaning" is frequently necessary
in the best OF homes and cities.
This is true OF dry cities and dry
homes.
United States Marshal V. Y. Dali
man. whose opinion is based upon
reason. investigation and expert
ence, told the Chamber of Com
merce that Rock Island is no
worse than other cities. 1t is be
cause the arsenal is at your very
doors that we have been sent here.
Were the arsenal at Decatur OF
Springfield we would find ourselves
there tonight"
Tbs is true, and Springfield and
Decatur are d. = BOotleggers at
dry Rockford nave given army Of
ficials at Camp Grant more trouble
than the arsenal officials have eX-
perienced here.
Conditions in dry Seattle were
so vile that army officials refused
to permit soldiers TO enter the city
limits. Local prOhibitionists close
their eyes to these facts, while they
SANDER. libel and besmirch the
name of Rock Island because it is
wet-because they think it will /
them win dry votes. Their pert
Gus action ought to be condemn
resented and Tepudiated by ev
Rock Islander in whose syst
there remains a grain of munich
pride
am glad to note that your m
or comes to the defense of VI
city and that Charles MacGow
president of the Tri-City Fede
tion of Labor has in the name
the maligned workers addressed
letter of protest to Secretary Bak
A committee representing
Tri-City Federation of Labor ma
an investigation of conditions
they exist and found that evl /
been vastly magnified in Tepo
TO Washington, solely for the pl
pose of creating hysteria and fl
thering the dry propaganda.
E. c. Knots, United Sta
district attorney. told the Chamt
of Commerce that reports II
went TO Washington were exaggt
ated." Like every true man
said:
q do not blame you for bel
loyal TO your city and to reese
these exaggerations. 1t is a thri
ing industrial city made up of SUI
people as you find in all cities
this great country of ours"
This is the literal truth and If
Rock Island is not as good as she
can be it is due TO the fact that
certain type of local preachers
have, in their plan or redemption,
substituted a policeman's club for
the cross of Christ Blessed with
more gall than grace, they preach
more politics in their public pull
pits than religion. They are too
busy manufacturing muzZles to
promote true morality.
Their libelous words and actions
have been spread by the press
throughout the state and nation,
and tonight there are millions OF
people in America who have ac-
cepted their lying exaggerations for
truth and believe this city to be a
second Sodom, where pen hate the
good, despise virtue, and reveI IN
infamy, vice and crime.
Your business men have been
slandered, your wage workers
) branded as incompetent sots. your
public officials described as pam
derers to vice and crime and the
brave boys in uniform at the ar
senal ss drunken buns and moral
lepers
And the basis of this malignant
campaign of mud and muck is not
municipal righteousness or per
sonal purity. but prohibition. All
the insulting insinuations. vile
SANDERS and damnable falsehoOds.
uttered and printed derogatory to
the name and fame of Rock Island
we're brewed in the witch cauldron
OF prohibition
Had your city been dry It might
have been even worse than 1t has
been painted, but no prohibitionist
would have acknowledged the fact,
much less proclaim it TO the whole
nation.
In the name Of all loyal Rock Is
landers I want to deny and resent
the imputation that this city is not
as clean morally as the average
city OF its size.
Both the United States marshal
and United States district attorney
agree with the mayor and the Of
fcials Of the Tri-City Federation Of
Labor. that the half mile zone is
dry and the five-mile sanitary dis
trict IS free from disorderly houses.
Despite this fact the traducers Of
Rock Island demand total prohibit
tion-a muzzIe for every citizen.
Your offense-your crime as
city. is your refusal 10 support the
prohibition crusade.
Lacking arguments TO convince
your judgment they seek TO stain
your reputation. Unable TO appeal