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About The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911 | View Entire Issue (July 8, 1908)
OMWMA .-. i p ! 'j II !i I'. f H J i ft i s I v i i A !'l l ELSE LAND CO. . Doland, and Redfield, South Dakota. Will sell you improved or unimproved farms in the , Famous James River Valley of S. B. We now have some splendid bargains in single quarters, half sec tions, and also improved farms. Good soil, plenty of good water, and mostly all well located. All kinds of small grain and good crops of corn are raised here. From present prospects South Dakota will harvest the largest crop ever known this year. Telephones, rural routes, schools and churches are established all over the valley. We also have unim proved land and ranches from one to eight thousand acres further west, which we will quote you prices on if desired. Mr. W. J. Else, ane of our firm, is now in Nebraska selling our lands. If you desire to consult him, notify the Redfield office and he will call on you when possible and give you accurate information about South Dakota land. Excursions First and Third Tuesdays of each month. Why not make arrangements and go with Mr. Else on. one of these excursions. We will gladly show you these lands, if you conclude to make a personal investigation by visiting our towns, and will also convince you that the price is right. REDFIELD, S. D. DOLAND, S. D. Xoute Mo. L Farmers on the route commenced to harvest their wheat Tuesday. Tbe Standard Bridge company have moved their out6t from tbe Matbias bridge to Will Gerholz'e place, where they will put in a new bridge. Frank Ami, sr., and Gootlieb Berch told returned last Wednesday from Switzerland, where they spent three months visiting the scenes of their boy hood days, from which tbey bad been absent for a quarter of a century. Of course, there were many changes, but there were still many familiar scenes. Eoute Mo. 5. Farmers are busy laying by their corn and harvesting wheat. Mrs. L. P. Hahn came up from York last week and they are now keeping house on the old borne place on route No. 5. Tuesday Will Houser was droging the road between the Platte bridge and Henry flouser's, with a road drag. He is giving the roads some needed atten tion and as a result tbey are in fine con dition. There "will be an ice cream social at tbe Hahn school house Friday evening, July, 17, beginning at 8 o'clock. The proceeds will go toward paying for the organ in the Kinsman district. Help in any way will be appreciated by those giving the social. EDITORS ARE Neftnsh Scribes Defeii ail Sip- ftrt tie SltCHffib Local Of trti Law. DENOUNCE "COUNTY OPTION" It tk laH drier Traffic m Wet m4s Is fostered by Dry Tewis Which Are Braiie! of Moiey. t In 1890 Nebraska editors partici pated In a memorable campaign against the proposed amendment to the state constitution to prohibit the manufacture and sale of intoxicating beverages. At that time a majority of the editors favored the retention of the high license, local option law enacted In 1887, believing it to be the best method of controlling the liquor traffic In this contention they were supported by many of the lead ing men of the state, including Hon. W. J. Bryan. The presumption is that the major ity of Nebraska editors are of the same opinion still, and that they are again ready to defend the Slocumb law against attack. A number of the best-known editors of the state have expressed their views on the subject In letters written to the Merchants' and Manufacturers' Association of Omaha. Some of these letters are as follows: FREMONT DAILY HERALD. Fremont, Neb., June 2, 1908. Mer chants' and Manufacturers' Associa tion: Gentlemen: I helped into ef fect the prohibition law -in Iowa by voting for It My observations after the election and for sev era! months convinced me that I B&ade a mistake, and I have not voted for prohibltloa since. A well-regulated license law, and enforcement thereof, will be of far greater benefit to any community than a so-called prohibition law. Prohibition does not prohibit. The national government has been at work for a century trying to stop distillation in the mountains of Tennessee, and it has failed to ac complish "prohibition." I am satisfied that prohibition in Nebraska would result in more drunkenness, more bad whiskey, more bootleggers, more whis key drug: stores, and a greater general menace to society than ever before. The continued improvement in meth ods' of saloon men, brewers, and deal ers generally Is going steadily on, making: a license law such as we now have more desirable than ever hereto fore. Ymm&ntj, Hare G. Perkins. .EY CITIZEN. rMeblay 27, 1908. Mer- eturers' Assoria. ., u ..Heparins to-your M-twhy I favor the present law in prefer- to a state prohibitory law or FOR wOt7ojglojiiitw.wouIay that I ELSE LAND CO. Marriage Licenses. Samuel A. Jacobs, David City 31 Ada M. Leeper, David City 20 Herman Schuster, Oolumbus 37 Maggie Carman, Silver Greek 28 Route Ho. 4. Dan Bray and Mert Fish have tbeir wheat harvested. There waa a well attended dance at Andrew Ebnerfe tbe Fourth. Charlie Bray was taken sick the Fourth and bad to be taken home. All the wheat fields on the low ground were badly flooded by the rain of San day. Miss Emma Garten of Genoa waa the guest of Miss Edith Barnes from Satur day until Tuesday. J. J. Barnes left Sunday for Denver, where he will remain two weeks and take in the convention. Louis Zabawa and wife, Martin Zaba wa and wife and Steven Sidock, all of South Omaha, arrived the Fourth for a few days' visit with Joseph Zabawa and family. have lived in Nebraska since tne adoption of tbe present liquor law; have seen its workings; know it to be prohibitory if tne community desires to enforce its provisions, and no other state has a law that is equally as pro hibitive. I have been in Kansas and Iowa since those states adopted state pro hibition, and at the times of my visits to them was a drinking man, and soon found out that I could get all the "booze" I wanted to drink. Several years ago I lived in Utica, Seward county, and in my newspaper business had dealings in both York and Seward. York was supposed to have the lid on tight, and Seward had four or five open saloons, yet one would see more drunken men in York than in Seward, and it was a subject of general comment at the time that the city and county officials of York were very lax in their enforcement of the law. I have for years argued with the temperance people those who favor a prohibitory law that they should use their endeavors to amending the rev enue laws of the government in ef fect, to have the government refuse a license when a municipality voted for no saloons. In that way, with the strong arm of tne government to en force its laws, bootleggers would go out of business. No town in a county has a right to say to another town that it shall not do as it likes. No state has a right to say to another state, "You must obey our laws." That is the reason I oppose the county option bill. Yours very truly, P. P. Compton. LOUP CITY STANDARD GAUGE. Loup City, Neb., June 20, 1908. Mer chants' and Manufacturers' Associa tion: Gentlemen: I have been a tem perance man all my life, but am strict ly opposed to prohibition, because: First, it was never known to pro hibit. Second, it makes criminals out of good citizens, both for and against. A system that sets neighbor against neighbor is degenerating, and a law that puts a premium .on outlawry should be repealed. A law or a sys tem that encourages men to watch the back door of their neignbor with the hope of making a criminal of him scarcely ever fails to mane a criminal out of the watcher. Freedom of speech and action is the one God-given heritage that the common people seem to have a perpetual figut to maintain. From ail ages the fanatic, whether re ligious or political, has been the su preme foe of the masses. Laws have' been made and gerrymandering ac complished that the majority of the people never realized until they awake to find their liberties either curtailed or annihilated. The masses should wake up to the fact that the softening sentences of religion do not better their condition once they allow their liberties to be snatched from them. A better understanding of mediaeval history would be beneficial to the world. George H. Gibson. SCHUYLER FREE LANCE. Schuyler, Neb., May 29, 1908. Mer chants' and Manufacturers'. Associa tion: Gentlemen: In response to your letter of recent date, will say that I am opposed to statutory prohibition in Nebraska and am a great believer in the efficiency of the present Slocumb law, which is a measure designed to fit the prevailing sentiment of any community Itxlf- amoiel loss!--- tJott lftW and. fegartllNs'of What any person's individual opinion may be, hef can endorse the provisions of the SUv cumo law. Public sentiment is always stronger than statutory provision and the latter becomes ob:K)lete when that sentiment is not in harmony with it Under the provisions of the Slo cumb law, in communities where the prevailing sentiment is against sa loons, the people can have prohibition as effective as they could under the most rigid prohioitory laws, and in communities where prohibition wouia not prohibit and would be a farce, the traffic can be held in check under a wise license system and bootlegging and the attendant lawlessness will not be the common method. If the Slo cumb law cannot be enforced in a community, most surely any prohib itory law cannot be. Enforced legis lative provisions of a personal nature must follow in the wake of public sen timent, and the wise Slocumb law seems to have been framed to fit the conditions of each and every commu nity. Public sentiment as expressed by the majority makes each commu nity one of prohibition or one of vari ous degrees of high license under not alone the general restrictions of the state law, but under additional pro visions of ordinance at the will of the local majority as well. The Slocumb law is the best possible, and should be let alone. If there 'is a genuine criticism of that law, it Is that it gives the saloon man little right and sub jects him too much to the malice of a citizen. I am also opposed to the proposed county option, for it destroys, in a measure, local option and the princi ple of home rule. It is unjust in that it gives men a vote as to municipal affairs wRen they pay no municipal taxes and have no real interest in the municipal government. Taxation witn out representation all Americans agree Is wrong, and the reverse is equally so. Very truly yours, John C. Sprecher. SALINE COUNTY DEMOCRAT. Wilber, Neb., June 8, 1908. Gentle men: The coming struggle over the liquor question should be J approached with the greatest moderation and for bearance on both sides. The manufacture and sale Of a bev erage that has been in use as far back as authentic history goes, and ages before the dawn of Christianity, can no more be prohibited by statute law because the depraved appetities of a few bring discredit upon those who supply tie public demand for it than can the preaching of the gospel be prohibited because the vicious pro pensities of a small percentage of min isters and the excesses of their pat rons bring contumely upon the whole church, by transgressing upon divine as well as civil law. To my icono clastic mind both are in the same class there for the money that Is in it In my opinion, the Slocumb law of Nebraska Is the best form of regulat ing the liquor business that has yet been devised. It has stood the tests of the courts for years and where any reasonable effort towards Its enforce ment by the local authorities has been made, it has given almost general sat isfaction. Witness the Jubilation of the "dry" forces at the result of the recent spring elections. It gives each community local option. To tamper with It would be tempting Providence, because the introduction of just one innocent-looking little "joker" by some adroit schemer might lead from order ly regulation to absolute chaos. Prohibition has been adopted in a number of the southern states just "to keep the niggers from getting it" If adopted here, it will be the white man of limited means that will be the greatest victim. In many localities it would be those colonies of hard-working, law-abiding and thrifty citizens who have been 'accustomed to the moderate use of malt beverages from childhood. The fellow who has got the price will get all he wants anyway, wholesale by case or cask, and make no bones about it And won't it be a pretty spectacle to see the tramping hoboes with a capital of ten cents go to the place across the street and rub shoulders with the sanctimonious Pecksniffs who yowl prohibition and affect to scorn the open saloon, but all the time take their nips on tbe sly in the back room of the "dispensary?" My memory of history may have be come a little defective through ad vancing years, but to the best of my recollection, whenever it has come to a downright contest between the "puri tans" and their more broad-minded fellow men, it has generally been the self-righteous that have done the emi grating. Better "let well enough alone." It is my firm belief that the present agi tation has been started by self-seeking politicians only to distract the atten tion of the people from far more seri ous evils. It is universally conceded that com mercial exigencies and educational in fluences are steadily advancing the temperance cause. Let these good in fluences continue, but from an acri "We won't!" with its personal recrim monlous campaign of "You will!" and inations and long-enduring animosities, Good Lord deliver us. One who has been tirough the "cru sade" oi the early seventies and the hard-fought campaign oi xoo ought to have formed decided opinions about the futility of well-meant but Impracti cal legislation. Respectfully, John Knight, Editor and Publisher. GREELEY CITIZEN. One of the best weekly newspapers in Nebraska fe the Greeley Citizen, published by Messrs. E. P. and E. E. Compton. Its editorials are uniformly well written and forceful. Its issue of June 5 contained the following. "It is but just to state that the Mer chants' and Manufacturers' associa tion is not a saloon'organtzation, nor is there a saloon man (either whole sale or retail) nor a brewer among its members. It Is an organization of manufacturers and wholesale and re tall merchants of that city banded to gether for' the distinct purpose of working for what they deem for the best interest of Omaha and the state. Some of the best and most influential papers in the state have published J uwnmuw mutt mm f mir nwiw mv tentibti to it on the last page. . . -The Merchants' and Manufacturers' assdeiatidh or the Antl-SaloOn League shodid enjoy equal facilities at the hands of the Nebraska press and, with few exceptions notably our contem porarythey will, and a full and frank discussion of any public question will never Injure the morals of any one, and no one but a hypocrite would ob ject" THE WYMOREAN. E. M. Burnham, editor of .the Wy- morean, expresses this view of the sub ject: "If prohibition prohibits, I am for it. If voting "the saloons out "of 'Wymore means that the liquor traffic will still be continued underground, by boot leggers and In holes In the walls, I say license the saloons, and have the liquor business carried., on in a way that gives the city a sum of money, which is badly needed, and conducted by men whom we know and who are good citizens. In towns and states where saloons have been shut out, the liquor traffic has -been transferred from responsible hands to outlaws and scalawags, and from an open business to an underground one. I do not be lieve that shutting out the saloons In Wymore will stop the sale of liquor and for that reason I am for local license." COLUMBUS TELEGRAM. Hon. Edgar Howard, one of the ablest democratic editors in the state, makes the following editorial reply to an anonymous correspondent: "This liquor problem is a large problem, and It cannot be settled and settled right by men who are so lack ing in courage as to write an anony mous postal card. It is a question which needs the best of thought of all good citizens. Men may honestly dif fer as to the mode of dealing with this great question. Some men are honeBt in the opinion that the traffic in In toxicating liquors should be wholly prohibited. Other men honestly be lieve the traffic should be regulated by law. Why should It seem neces sary on the part of those who believe in prohibition always to question the honesty and integrity of those who do not,belleve In prohibition?" SCRIBNER NEWS. In its issue of June 5, the Scrlbner News says: "A great deal of misrepresentation has been put in circulation in regard to the Merchants and Manufacturers association of Omaha which is making a strong and dignified fight against prohibition, and what is still worse, county option. The association Is composed of leading business men of Omaha whose names are familiar throughout the state. No distiller, brewer or liquor dealer is eligible to membership. "Now if those advocates of prohibi tion will read and consider the weekly columns furnished by tbe above named association, they will notice that some of the best business men of the state are strictly against county option." WESTERN NEBRASKA OBSERVER. Kimball, Neb., May 26. 1908. Mer chants' and Manufacturers' Associa tion r Gentlemen: I came here over a year ago from Kansas where I lived fifteen years. I had ample opportuni ty to observe the workings, or rather, the non-working qualities of the pro hibitory law. I am sick and tired of drug-store saloons and joints which pay no license and cause more drunk enness than open saloons. The Slocum law in Nebraska is all right as it now stands and needs no chang ing. A saloon run strictly in accord ance with this law Is a great deal more to be desired than a "dry" town with its drug stores, its bootleggers, and its numerous shipments of mail order booze and consequent drunken ness. Very respectfully, R. D. Wil son. MORE MAIL-ORDER BUSINESS. Every local merchant in Nebraska has felt the unfair competition of the eastern mail-order house. There is a state association of merchants, the object of which Is to make sentiment antagonizing the mall-order business. The local merchant contends that it Is unjust to him, a local taxpayer, to per mit a company paying no taxes in the state to ship into a Nebraska com munity merchandise at prices less than the local merchant can afford to sell for,' because of the Insurance, tax and rental rates he is compelled to pay for the privilege of doing business. He is casting about for some means by which the mail-order business may be stamped out In this connection. It is interesting to cite one .phase of the situation in Butler county, brought about by some of the towns whose people voted not to issue liquor licenses. A David City banker writes that immediately upon the adoption of the dry policy, there sprang up an active 'mail-order busi ness in wet goods. The same is true cf Beatrice. All such money, of course, leaves the county, and while as much liquor as formerly may be consumed, the volume of local money Is depleted. It is said on good authority that every Saturday night trains from Kan sas City to Topeka carry mail-order original packages of wet goods for the Individual consumer at Topeka. A well known, citizen of Cook, Neb., writes of the mall-order business in wet goods as applied to that town, as follows: "In one month there has been shipped into Cook seven and one- half barrels of wine and whisky and twenty barrels and five cases of beer." The Chamber of Commerce of Sa vannah, Ga.. has Issued a circular stating that the new prohibition law of that state has created an immense mall-order traffic in liquor amounting to something like 1200.000 a month, which Is leaving the state, and in re turn for which liquor is received for local consumption. During the days when the policy of prohibltloa was sought to be enforced in Iowa, the mail-order business from Omaha houses into the various towns of western Iowa was enormous; the money, of course, leaving the local communities of Iowa to enhance the profits of Omaha dealers. -The enact ment of the Mulct Tax law in 1894 put a stop to most of the traffic. These instances are few compared with the large number within the knowledge of the people of Nebraska towns E G. PERSON - Buggies, Wagons, Implements, Lawson Gas Engines Smithing, Wagon Making and Shoeing. eral supreme court has, t In three no table cases, decided that no valid law could be passed to prevent a citizen of one state ordering liquor shipped from another state for his own use; there fore tbe original package mail-order traffic in wet goods is strictly s legiti mate from a legal point of view, or. at any rate, the right can not be abridged by law. It is a question for local merchants and taxpayers to decide for them selves whether or not they shall favor a local policy which would be certain to build up an immense mail-order business, thus creatine a constant drain upon the money of any town adopting that policy. THE SNYDER BANNER. Manager Gus H. Weber of the Snyder Banner, discussing the mall order liquor trade, says: "With prohibition every taxpayer will have to cough up more money proportionally but the "jug houses" do business just the same depriving the towns of their annual income of license, and at the same time increase the mall-order trade which has be come a heavy drain on local merchants all over the country. We do not believe that people could not exist without liquor, but while we are positive that some- so-called prohibitionists insist on its use we are going to stand for license, to which the community is more entitled than those jug houses ever dared to be. To give a plain illustration of how liquor trade is going abroad we wish to relate the following story which recently came to light: A well known citizen in a country town called at the depot asking the agent If "his books had come." The agent replied that no books were received at the time. Later the same party inquired by telephone about the expected mer chandise, when the agent replied. "Yes, your package is here, but there are no books; it is billed as liquor." Seeing that he was caught in a trap our citizen refused to accept the pack age. It Is not necessary to state that that man will vote for county option. but he must have the booze." 'CLAY CENTER SUN. The editor of the Clay Center Sun makes the following significant com ment: "It has been said in our bearing many times that tbe business of Has tings has fallen off greatly since the saloons were closed. The extent of that decline, as reported In some in stances once-half did not to us seem possible, but that there has been a heavy decline we are forced to believe. What follows such a decline in busi ness? Discharge of help. We cannot guess how many worthy ladies and gentlemen are thrown out of employ ment. Does one hundred overstate it? We guess not Half of these will miss their salaries, though perhaps small, exceedingly, and as much as the ladles might abhor saloons wouldn't they feel that the presence of the saloon, so far as they are con cerned, where the evil effects are not seen in their families, can more easily be endured than the want of tbe week ly stipend that they receive when busi ness is better and their services are needed in the stores? We learn through the Hastings Tribune that one hundred and nfty-nve or Hastings most progressive business men re spectfully call the attention of the city council to the fact that at the last municipal' election a majority of 206 votes were cast for the policy of local license and that the general business of tbe city is suffering from the effects of the present policy." STERLING SUN. As Sterling has saloons and none of tbe neighboring towns have any, it will be a good opportunity to make comparisons during the year as to rel ative business conditions, amount of drunkenness and other disputed ques tions as to prohibition and saloons. There are a great many temperance people who do not believe in, but dis courage the use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage; who are not prohibi tionists, so-called, because they do not believe that prohibition of the liquor traffic prohibits, nor is it the best way to control the use of intoxicating liquors. KEARNEY DEMOCRAT. Editor F. L Whedon writes: A corporation lawyer ought to know better than we do, because we are not a corporation lawyer, why the people living In any of the outlying town ships in Buffalo county should not be permitted to vote to control the ac tions of a municipality or municipal corporation. Cities and towns are seiiarated and sesrerated from the control of the canntv government bv i statute and It is in violation of law and the constitution of the state for a citizen of Logan township to come to Kearney or go to Elm Creek and cast his vote upon any question or up on any proposition which is being vot ed upon by the voters of those corpo rations. He becomes a criminal the moment he does so. He is not, should not, and the courts will not give him legal right to have a voice in such local government because to give him such a voice in the municipal govern ment would be to give him representa tion without taxation, which would be destructive to the priciple of home rule, would be Illegal and un-American In every sentiment The constitution j ttf ti r ot abide la toe pi iiefftMt of count? opttotv Mcmm tW'r Protect touts std village igalnst the domination and encroach ment of a larger number of .voters throughout the county in which they are situated, who 'are not t taxed) to maintain municipal or corporate1 gov ernment and have no more right water the statute and 'the constitution of controlling or shaping the affairs of those towns and villages than has the city of Kearney to dominate and vote upon the affairs of Ravenna or Shel ton. The plan of county option is to have the county dominate the city of Kearney, providing county .option should receive "a majority of the votes within the county, but permit Kear ney to work out its own salvation If a majority of the votes wltttm the county should be cast against county option. Kearney always has. and we believe always -will be perfectly able to understand its own affairs what It wants and what It does not want what It can afford and what it cannot afford better than the voters of Lo gan township do or can." LOUP CITY STANDARD-GAUGE. The saloons closed their doors at noon Tuesday, their license having expired. It has been a dry town since, but every one seems to satisfy their thirst as they did when the sa loons were open. Just the other evening a case of the best that money can buy came in from Kansas City. Does that look like you can shut it out of the city? It will be had when it is desired no matter how the "Wa ter Apostles" arrange matters, so let 'em o. SCHUYLER FREE LANCE. Hon. John C. Sprecher, editor of the Schuyler Free Lance, In a recent is sue of his interesting-and ably-edited paper, says: "The leading business firms and In dividuals of Omaha have organized what is known as the Merchants' and Manufacturers' association for the ex press purpose of fighting not alone pro hibition in this state, but county op tion as well. And those business men are not brewers nor distillers nor saloon keepers nor "boozers," but are the leading business men of Omaha who know the serious effect upon bu siness prohibition has and also realize -that county option is unfair. They favor the present Slocumb law, which is fair to all elements and permits the majority of any community to rule. That association has a press bureau and that bureau is sending out litera ture as well as furnishing the local press with articles and plate matter. So far as the association and its mis sion are concerned, the Free Lanc editor is in harmony with them and their opposition to prohibition and county option is in accord with us. We agree in general with the matter, which is simply presenting their side of the question. LOUP CITY STANDARD GAUGE. Every voter should clearly under stand the situation andgtf he wants a law passed that allows his neighbor miles away to tell him what to do then he should vote for the represen tative or senator that will pass it If he desires to govern himself and grant the other roan the same right then elect a man who is against coun ty option. Don't be fooled on the word local option, we have that: county option destroys that privilege. Suppose the fight that the fanatics are making for county option is defeated at tbe polls, what have they lost? Not one piivlleee. or power: but if they win, they have succeeded In windfag the people in one more mesh called law. that robs you of your liberty. Don't forget that your liberties are easily given away, but once gone are mighty hard to recover. HASTINGS TRIBUNE. That you may better understand just what these 150 business men are praying for we print a copy of their petition, which follows: "We. the undersigned citizens and business men of Hastings, Neb., recog nizing the imperative necessity of con tinuing the established policy of gov ernment, wherein the majority shall rule, believing the business interests of this city are best protected by fol lowing the expressed will of tbe ma jority, respectfully call your attention to the fact that at the last municipal election a majority of 206 votes were cast for the policy of local license and that the general business, of this city is suffering from the effects of the present policy. "We, therefore, pray your honorable body to at once take up and act upon the several petitions for liauor JI- bYBBhBBbBBBbJ fCa IB 'SiSJEP Electric Lighted Trains -TO- COLORADO EQUIPHED WITH Pullman Palace Sleeping Cars, Free Reclining Chair Cars, Dynamo Baggage Car, Dining Car, (Meals a la Carte), Running Daily to Denver VIA THE UNION PACIFIC Inquire of E. Q. BROWN, AgenC cng( tow m witB'-tnrcity elernV . GRAND ISLAND INDEPENDENT. At its state meeting held in Has tings recently the anti-saloon league declared its opposition to the Slocumb law and expressed Itself, In favor of the repeal of the same. It also de clared itself in favor of the county op tion law. evidently as a temporary measure. The Slocumb law permits of prohibition for every community which wants it "The county optloa law- per mits of people outside of a community govering such community provided they will govern It one certain way. , SCHUYLER FREE LANCE. The prohibition element Iq Ne braska promises to be very active; and they also give evidence of helms as unprincipled as they are aggreivf. Abuse and misrepresentation atver win anything and that is their prifi cipal means of attack. This editor prefers law aad order rather than the opposite and prefers licenced saloqri In lieu of bootlegging and so stands by the Slocumb law. PENDER TIMES. There are lots of good intelligent people who do not believe in the liquor traffic who do, however, believe that while it is with us it can best lie regulated by local license, which is far more preferable than bootlegging and other attendant evils even pro hibition towns must put up with, to say nothing in reference to the ques tion of revenue and the wishes of the majority of tbe community.-' GENEVA GAZETTE. Syracuse,. Nebraska, went dry and the town board bad to cut expenses to meet the pocketbook they were to carry for the year so tbey cut out the street lighting service, reduced the salary of the treasurer, did away with the office of attorney and made the water and light commissioner act as town clerk. The prohibitory law in Georgia, which went into effect the first of January, stopped the manufacture and open sale of liquor. The secretary of the Commercial club at Savannah says- that the club has sent agents over the state to ascertain the effect of the law upon the business of Georgia. He writes that insofar am an estimate can be made at this time, he finds that merchants are losing hundreds of thousands- of1 dollars of trade a month, which is going to out side dealers of liquor who are ship ping liquor into Georgia in original packages. The commercial clubs of Georgia have combiped to see what can be done to keep such money in the state. They hold that there Is just as much( liquor being consumed as ever. Be it remembered that local option as defined by the Slocumb liquor law affords the fullest measure of home rule. It is a vital quality of the law. Destroy it, and the whole structure must fall. So-called county option, as defined by the Anti-Saloon league, la intended to destroy this element of home rule by putting the power in the hands of rural voters to dictate to the taxpayers of villages and towns as to what they shall or shall not do. Pretended county option means that the limits of villages and towns shall be ignored, when the people of .a whole county may be permitted to vote to prevent the issuing of liquor licenses. With such a law as that in effect, the home rule of villages aad towns would be destroyed, and their policy with respect to the control of the liquor traffic would be dictated by the farmers of the county, who pay no taxes in the towns. The secretary of the Fort Scott Commercial club says that owing to the blight of prohibition in Kansas! Immigration into that state during the last twenty-four years has been less numerically than the birth rate. He says the policy has put a check upon the material progress of the state as compared with other states, whereas Kansas is naturally one of the most productive states in the union. County option was enacted in Texas and Xorced upon the people of many towns against their will. The secre tary of the Denison Commercial club estimates that the operation cf county option in that city cost the merchants and property owners nearly a million dollars. All ElKtic LitltX .y VA