New Britain herald., 1919-01-23

BarIeycorfi. though in fact the city did not altogether purge itself for the corporate lights of Seattle gave some majority in favor of Old John on the first vote. It was the farmer vote that knocked the trotters out from under the old sinner. We have her what is called a referendum law and it's a mighty good law for the right. It means that where there is dissatisfaction among any consider able number of people they them selves can by petition cause the law to be put up to a popular vote for final decision. This law can be in vo1ed by the liquor element or by anybody who asks it. The liquor in- terests have invoked it at their cost, only to get an additional tightening of the cruel chains of prohibition of their "business." They, however, as 9 general rule, showed the right spirit and quit gracefully. Many of the saloons contained signs in the win dows advertising the places for rent
 and many of them became blind tigers" and bootleggers and made a lot of trouble. The first law permit ted the purchase of a limited amount
 of liquor. to be bought outside the state, and prohibited the sale or manufacture of liquor within the state and closed all the saloons
 I took no particular stand on the question until the matter of prohibi- ton was brought up through the eff forts of others, and while I joined in the movement, I claim no credit for bringing it to an issue. Tn fact I al- ways rather liked the taste of drink | and often took my nip along with the l crowd in fact, l did so in New Brit ain and elsewhere in New England. 1 That is how I came to realize the utter uselessness and waste of the traffic and all to no good.
 Three Great Evils.
 Liquor, gambling and prostitution are a trinity, and are one and insepa- rable. in my opinion. I have a great deal of experience in these things, be- cause as mayor Of the city, I had to deal with the problem constantly. As county auditor it became my duty to organize and handle the liquor permit system. I took the ploce of 9 thou sand bartenders, being the one bar tender in the county. A person was allowed to buy only a certain amount of any one kind of liquor and two kinds of liquor could not be bought on the same permit.
 
 ject to a heavy fine for shipping it in to the state unless a permit was at tached to each package. Of course they could not afford to violate the law for the small payment of express charges and this part of the law en- forced itself. We issued from 1000 to 10000 permits a day Not less than 1-1O of the consumption of the liquor was stopped immediately and since the permit section has not been knocked out and total drynesS is in effect there is not 1-25 of the liquor consumed that was under the wide open days. This is as near as true an estimate as can be arrived at. Millions of dollars which used to go to beer and whiskey is now invested in Thrift Stamps, savings accounts, eatables and clothes to wear. Seattle has been for 30 years a manufacturing city in some ] lines, especially ship building and all kinds of heavy machinery from ships to numbering, On the saloon paydays it was cOmn%on to see from 10 to 40 women at the various pay | offices to get the pay checks before l they went into the saloon coffers. This condition does not exist now.
 Liquor Had Strong Backing. The liquor interests waged a re- l 1entess war, backed up by millions of 1 dollars in cash. I know of one man ! to whom they offered $12,000 to l manage their campaign in Seattle | alone. He answered, No, I am going | to vote dry" Still they had men of I skill and force to manage their af- 1 fairs. I am sorry to say that many 1 of our banks and a majority of our | capitalists quite openly gave their sup port to the liquor interests in the form 1 of their dollars. The "drys" had no money backing beyond the money to 1 pay for literature and bare headquar- l ters, but they made an organized and 1 businesslike fight. The "Wets" colo nized the city with thousands of | hoaters, workers in lum Der camps on l railroads and on steamboats. They had l no right to vote having established no 1 residence in Seattle. The "dryS" were 1 so alert that they knocked out the ] illegal voting scheme without dollars, ! as soon as the polls opened. They
 were at the polls and it could be
 seen that they meant to keep order 1 and m cant business. An auditor here 1 has to conduct county and state elec- 1 tions so l was permitted to observe all that went on at the polls
 l One great factor in the overthrow l of Old John Barleycorn is the fact | that mothers of men and women can 1 vote here and exercise any public