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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1914)
TTTE MORXIXG OREGONIAN, MONDAY, .'NOVEMBER 2,'. 1914. 9 66 TV3 ntcnt Expsel J X-d1 C7 -L Committee of Oinie Hoinidyede Face fee PnaMicl Yesterday morning in The Daily Oregonian of Portland you put what you thought would be the finishing touch to your campaign of "prohibition" misrepresenta tion in Oregon by springing a FULL PAGE OF LIES. You waited for the last hour, until you thought it was too late for us to answer you before the public. Such cheap trickery should lose you the confidence and support of every fair-minded, broad-thinking voter in Oregon. ' r f V Georgia Lie" Nailed The Committee of One Hundred has CLAIMED that "prohibition is a success" in Georgia, one of its latest "victories." . Read what Supreme Court Justice Spencer R. I Atkinson, of Atlanta, says regarding the monu mental blunder made by the people of that state in swallowing PROHIBITION PROMISES. "There are at present something in the neighbor . hood of THREE HUNDRED places in Atlanta where there can be bought at any time OVER THE COUNTER, as in the OLDEN TIMES, BEERS OP ALL CLASSES, both foreign and domestic. "There is a widespread dissatisfaction with the operation of the present PROHIBITION LAW. The use of ardent spirits IS ALMOST AS UNI VERSAL as it was prior to the passage of our pro hibition act. This statement APPLIES TO ALL OTHER SECTIONS OP THE STATE. "THE RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL COURTS WILL DISCLOSE THAT THERE IS A GREATER NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE LAW IN THE MANU FACTURE AND SALE OF ILLICIT LIQUORS THAN AT ANY TIME WITHIN THE HISTORY OF THE STATE. - (Signed) "SPENCER R. ATKINSON. "r . Will the Committee of One Hundred BACK DOWN on their CLAIMS that PROHIBITION PROHIBITS in the face of this statement by a Georgia SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ? Is this not proof of the fact that the. BLIND PIG and BOOTLEGGER follow in the TRAIL OF PROHI BITION? Maine Falsehoods Challenged The Committee of One Hundred has persistently pointed to the State of Maine as a "dry" state with a RECORD, many of its FALSE FIGURES having been based on that state. The Committee of One Hundred HAS NOT TOLD THE PUBLIC tUat Maine, three or four weeks ago.' REBUKED PROHIBITION, after trying it for SIX.TY-FOUR TEARS, by electing a Governor running on an- ANTI-PROHIBITION TICKET. They NEVER TOLD THE PUBLIC that prohibition ESCAPED i- RE JECTION in 1911 by only 758 votes. The Committee of One Hundred HAS NOT TOLD THE PUBLIC that a HOME RULE or LOCAL OPTION LAW is to be voted on at the next regular election by the voters of Maine. They HAVE told the public that PROHIBITION PROHIBITED in Maine. THEY HAVE TOLD THE PUBLIC that Maine is a banner PROHIBITION STATE. Admiral "Fighting Bob." Evans said of Portland, Me.: "I would rather take my sailors to ANY OTHER AMERICAN PORT THAN MAINE'S for the reason that my men return to their ships, not so much drunken as CRAZY, which Is due to fhe VILE DECOC TION OF DRUGGED LIQUORS they have supplied to them" (by .the BLIND PIGGERS). Charles F. Libby, recently presi dent of the American Baa Associ ation and formerly Mayor of Port land, Me., declares outspokenly that the statewide prohibition law Is a great handicap to the develop, ment of the State of Maine, - He says: "I regard the prohibition law as the "WORST PIECE OF LEGISLA TION EVER ENACTED. A long experience has taught me that my ODinion as to this Is right. " IT HAS FAILED to accomplish what it was intended to accomplish -in Maine, and I believe HAS DONE MORE HARM to the state than good." Maine has had prohibition for more than 64 years and yet from 1880 to 1900 the DEATH RATE from ALCOHOLISM In that state INCREASED 63 per cent. The death rate from the same cause in 17 license states during the same period of time DECREASED 34 per cent. EVES TESXESSEE A "PAItl'RE." Tennessee under its first year of "prohibition" collected $206, 280.95 from "outlaw" liquor deal ers. During the second year the state collected from the same source $590,121.06. In the first eight months of 1913 the state col lected from this source $262,673.94. This totals U.059, 076.95, the amount that Tennessee has re ceived through municipal liquor taxes In two years and eight months of Its "prohibition" rule. (Report of State Controller, Nash ville. Tenn.) Mayor House, of Nashville, Tenn., says: "If you want your tax rate IN CREASED, your revenue DE CREASED, real estate values DE CREASED and business in general hampered WITHOUT promoting Voite temperance and morality, or re ducing the amount of liquor, con sumed favor statewide prohi- . bltion," ' HOOD RIVER DRUG STORES FIND ;' "BVSINESS IS FINE." Hood River Is ne of the "dry" '. . towns that the Committee of One' Hundred hasn't said anything about. But "business is fine" there, too, especially in the drug stores. . The October grand jury spent some days looking into the matter, and reported on it. In fact, about all , the grand jury did was to- probe t the liquor situation In "dry Hood' River, thus spending the taxpayers' money to discover If prohibition prohibited. This is what they found but,, as set forth in their formal report to the Circuit Court on October" 6, 1914: "Nearly all of the time of the grand jury has been taken up with consideration of alleged violations of the local option law within this jurisdiction. We have received the : report of the. Sheriff of the courity as to the quantity of Intoxicating -; liquor shipped into this county dur ing the last three months. By this ". report It appears that a large .amount of liquor has been shipped to private Individuals during the period, and presumably procured and used legally. It further ap-" pears that the quantity received by the drug stores during the period was considerably more than during :he preceding three months, and too large to be disposed of in accord ance with the section of the local -option law regulating the writing of prescriptions by physicians, and In this connection we call the at tention of physicians of Hood River County to Section 4921 of Lord's Oregon Laws. "We recommend that the physi cians confine themselves more closely to the letter of this section of the local option law." The report is signed by Joseph.'. Frazier, Jr., as foreman. Eugene Matron tfnda Liquor. EUGENE Though one of the po licemen had failed to find liquor upon the person of a drunk picked up on the streets here, Mrs. J, R. Cox, police matron, succeeded In discovering three quarts of whisky concealed in the prisoner's clothes. and confiscated the liquor. . Albany Bootlegger Guilty. ALBANY A. J. Miller, charged with violating the local option laws, has been convicted of "bootlegging by a- jury in Judge Kelly's court. Evidence against the prisoner was ' strong, and the jury reached a ver dict with but little delay. Albany Has Twelve Cases. ALBANY Thomas Irving Terrill. a local restaurant man, has been fined $200 for selling beer in his place of business in violation of the local option statutes. His trial is the first of 12 to follow a dozen indictments handed down by the September grand jury, each one re lating to liquor law violations In Linn County. 333 X No ASsiiimst You Were Caught in One Outright Lie. Why Don't You Clean That One Up First? Why Dodge YOUR CHALLENGE With More Lies? THE PUBLIC HASN'T FORGOTTEN that you gave THEM your SOLEMN PROMISE TO PRINT THE NAMES OF ONE HUNDRED PERSONS OPPOS ING PROHIBITION, alongside the names of YOUR GOMMITTEE in EVERY PORTLAND NEWSPAPER, if those names were produced. No PROMISE that you have made the PEOPLE in this whole campaign has been MORE SOLEMNLY MADE.. y You since have been furnished the names of NOT ONE HUNDRED, but of MANY HUNDREDS, RUNNING INTO THE THOUSANDS, and you BACKED DOWN, WHIPPED IN THE EYES OF THE PUBLIC. . You dodged, you squirmed, you said you were CHECKING" the nataes; and you said the names were false and forgeries. ." . 1 You Were Offered $100 for Every Forgery Why haven't you claimed $1000 or $1500 for the ten or fifteen names you declared were forgeries? " THE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THE VOTERS TO WHOSE CONFIDENCE YOU APPEAL BY DECEPTION. Is it "because YOU KNOW that you LIED when you printed the names of a number of alleged forgeries? Is it because YOU KNOW that NEARLY EVERY ONE OF THOSE MEN have written letters DENYING THAT THEIR NAMES "HAD BEEN FORGED? Is it because YOU KNOW that the FAC SIMILE SIGNATURE OF EVERY OTHER MAN CAN BE PRODUCED from a list of SIXTY1 THOU SAND, and that their fac similes have, only been withheld from the public in order to save them from the persecute on'.bf the "dry fanatic"? You Haven't Claimed a Dollar' -. . . . Was it because you have' been shown the names of the BRAIN and BRAWN of Oregon that you didn't dare to compare their names with'-YOUR COMMITTEE? Was it because you didn't dare put the name of YOUR ONE BANKER OF PORT LAND, whose concern is now in the hands of"', a receiver, alongside of 'the names of NINE OF PORTLAND'S MOST PROMINENT BANKERS ? Because YOUR MANUFACTURERS, YOUR MERCHANTS, YOUR PROFESSIONAL MEN were so FEW, so INFERIOR, so LACKING IN STANDING, when com pared to the names of men OPPOSED TO PROHIBITION, that the comparison was discrediting YOUR COMMITTEE in the eyes of. the PUBLIC?. ; ; Explain Your Challenge Lie to the Public -We don't need an explanation of why you BACKED DOWN from your SOLEMN PROMISE to print these names in EVERY PORTLAND NEWS PAPER; of why YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO, of why YOU HAVEN'T CLAIMED A SINGLE DOLLAR. ' . ; . . But the Public Wants to Know The PUBLIC THE VOTERS-wanl; to know' how ANY PROHIBITION PROMISE YOU HAVE MADE IN THIS CAMPAIGN can be BELIEVED, until you clean up this STRAIGHTFORWARD, SOLEMN PROMISE-this LIE. Business Is Not "Fine" in "Dry" Towns In branding prohibition "lies" still further, it isnot a pleasant task to cast discredit on a single Qregtra city. The pity is that the question should have been raised by the "dry" forces in order to de ceive other ' cities of the state. Salem, Roseburg, Oregon City and Springfield are the principal cities that -went "dry" a year ago. " , : " - ' Roseburg Taxes Go Up; I Property Yaiues Go Down Rosebilrg's bank deposits Hare Fallen Off- Over 9500,000, even though It now has four banks to the two it Bad when the city -was "wet." When Roseburg had licensed sa loons the tax levy, on a One-Third Valuation, was Two Mills. Since the city has been dry the tax levy has varied from Eight to Ten Mills on Full Valuation, and Occupation Taxes have been steadily Increas ing:. A $116,000 hotel, erected In 1913,.' Stood Idle and 4Tennantlesn for four months, and was Kescued From the Bankruptcy Court only by liberal business men of the city. Leading Business Men Over 2T0. of them have petitioned for an election to Return to Licensed Sa loons. Vacant stores are to be found on the Main Business Street, which was never the case when Roseburg was "wet." Beggars are common on the streets: m a n y" Poor Families are appealing- to the banks for aid. Much "inside property" is offered For Sale at Less Than Its Assessed Valuation, and realty movements are rare. "Dry-Town" Secrets Eugene, county seat of Lane County, a "model prohibition coun ty" of Oregon and seat of the Uni versity of Oregon, is generally be lieved by the good women of even that city to be dry. Its local news papers do not publish the following facts, but they are on record with the railroad and express companies in that city: From December 31 to October 1 of this year there were shipped into Eugene 102,457 Quarts of Beer. From January 1 to October 1 of this year there were shipped into Eugene 340O Quarts of Liquor. Of this amotint there went to one drugstore 524 Quarts of Liquor. Oregon City Regrets Lost License Revenue Since Oregon City voted Itself "dry" the Council has refused to order street - improvement work, and, after blockading its chief busi ness thoroughfare for weeks, prop erty owners are now repairing it at their own expense. In the first eight months of the "dry" regime Oregon City spent 139,991.05 more than its revenue, and city warrants issued to cover this .debt are refused at local banks and stores. Sixteen vacant store buildings are for rent on Main street, and a res taurant, a livery barn, a garage and a. clothing store have quit busi ness. A concrete business block, erect ed since the election that made Oregon City "dry" the upper story of which was Intended for a hotel has remained tennantless and un finished on 'the second floor, and a livery barn occupies two-thirds of the ground floor. The tax levy was formely eight muis. since uregon jity went dry this has been raised to ten mills the legal limit and a special elec tion has been called to provide for an additional eight-mill levy. Salem Loses Heavily in Business Property Salem shows a Decrease in bank deposits of $309,942 Since the Town Went-Dry, not allowing for 1486,000 deposited Thin Year from the sale of bonds. The Decrease, therefore, really should be $794,942. Building permits In Salem In the last Eleven Months were $120,000 Leas than for the Last Eight Wet - Months. More than Five Hundred Dwell Idki are "for rent." Fourteen Business Places, aside from the saloons and restaurants, have Closed since December 1 last. Including three shoe stores two by Sheriff and one voluntarily. Grammar school opening-day en rollments were -41 Less this year than last. (Paid Advertisement, Taxpayers and Wage Earners' League of Oregon) Springfield Deserted Village as "Dry" Town Springfield, in Its pitiable plight, would convince any doubting per son of the stagnation caused by so called "prohibition." It looks like a deserted village after going "dry" a year ago. ' -Bank deposits have fallen off $57,000. : . The city has run into' a $5200 deficit in the operation of its af fairs. Not a foot of permanent road work has been done with tax funds. Two blocks of store buildings' on -either side of Main street' west of the railroad are empty. A real estate deal on Main street couldn't' be made. The leading hardware store has ;ult; also the leading "toggery" and a .leading confec tionery store. The leading dry goods merchant has reduced his space by half and says business is "Just half as good." The prohibitionists are petition ing the City Council to call an elec tion to double the city's "expense levy." - "Gompers Lie" Shown Read what Samuel Gompers Actu ally Thinks About Prohibition. This is what he wrote Congressman Richmond P. Hobson, National Pro-. ' hlhlrion Agltatori " 'I beg to assure you that I ap preciate the honor of your selecting me as a member of the ... committee, but l must ask you" to excuse me from accepting. I ani frank enough to say to you that r am Out of Harmony 'With the Pro" hlbltlon Movement by Constitu tional Provision or Statute Enact-" ment. I know of a Better Way, other than by legalized prohibition, to secure Temperance. I am- not in harmony with the purpose of your movement, and hence cannot con sistently accept appointment on the committee. I therefore again re spectfully request, you to remove my name from the comirtittee." Fsil&e How "Kansas Lie" Is Dodged If the Committee of One Hundred has been guilty of a greater BACK-DOWN during this entire cam paign, aside from its CHALLENGE BACK-DOWN or LIE it is the case of the KANSAS LEE. 'From the day the campaign opened the Prohibi tionists have been asked to answer certain facts re garding Kansas, which are to be found in the LAT EST UNITED STATES CENSUS REPORT or the LATEST CONTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY'S REPORT. These reports are the only authorities to which anyone except, perhaps, the Prohibitionists, may go. . They show: ' - That KANSAS' per capita INDIVIDUAL BANK DEPOSITS, June 14, 1913, were ONLY $100; that Nebraska's (an adjoining license state) were $143, and that OREGON'S were $145; That. THIRTY-ONE STATES, INCLUDING OREGON, have GREATER per capita BANKING RESOURCES; That TWENTY-FOUR STATES, INCLUDING OREGON, have FEWER in-PENITENTIARY, ex elusive of Federal prisons. That -TWENTY-SIX STATES, INCLUDING OREGON, have FEWER JUVENILE DELIN QUENTS, v The- Committee of One Hundred and even the "$200,000 Flying Squadron" have rep'eatedlv been asked WHY SHOULD OREGON BE PUT NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST, ALONG WITH KANSAS, financially and morally? The nearest answer either has made to this ques- tion, by dodging UNITED STATES FIGURES, has been to say THEY DON'T BELIEVE THE F1G ' URES. Why don't they quote the TRUE FIGURES, if our figures are WRONG? Are they afraid to get into another CHALLENGE BACK-DOWN 1 v :Is it possible they are LYING about Kansas'? It is.. They are. They have AVOIDED PUBLIC .DISCUSSION OF FACTS because THEY KNEW they. would be CAUGHT LN ANOTHER LIE. Here is another KANSAS LIE. :. In their PAGE OF LIES in yesterday's Oregonian, the Committee of One Hundred says ''Oregon dry will mean lower taxes. Oregon (wet) ' 24 mills; Kansas (dry) 10 mills." The World's Almanac for last year (the latest available comparative report on official state affairs) says: "Tax rate in Kansas, $1.20 per $1000 on a NINETY PER CENT VALUATION; tax rate in Oregon, $1.20 per $1000 on a SIXTY-EIGHT PER CENT VALUATION. Kansas has a bonded debt of $370,000; Oregon has NO bonded debt." . . .11 , i j-t i i t -r-r 3 1 1.11 l wny will tne committee oi une xiunarea xen sucn LEES, when official FIGURES make them BACK down? (See World's Almanac, 1913, page 299.) i . " - '.' - ' - Prohibition's Dismal Record Vermont adopted prohibition in 1850, repealed it in 1903, "tried it" 53 years. New Hampshire adopted prohibition in 1855, re pealed it in 1903, "tried it" 48 years. Michigan adopted prohibition in 1855, repealed it in 1875, "tried it" 20 years.. , V Connecticut adopted prohibition in 1854, repealed it in 1872, "tried it" 18 years. Rhode Island adopted prohibition in 1852, re pealed it in 1863, "tried it" 11 years. Massachusetts .adopted prohibition in 1869, re pealed it in 1875, "tried it" 6 years. . South Dakota adopted prohibition in 1890, re pealed it in 1896, 'tried it" 6 years. Alabama adopted prohibition in 1908, repealed it in 1911, "tried it" 3 years. . Nebraska adopted prohibition in 1855, repealed it in 1858, "tried it" 3 years. " Illinois adopted prohibition in 1851, repealed it in 1853, "tried it" 2 years. . ' '.. Iowa adopted prohibition in 1881, repealed it (by mulct law) in ,1893,""tried it" 12 years. , New York adopted prohibition in 1855; statute was declared unconstitutional. Indiana adopted prohibition in 1855; statute was declared unconstitutional. Ohio adopted prohibition in 1851, and annulled it by License Tax Law. ' Wisconsin adopted prohibition in 1855; statute vetoed by Governor. . -: PiroMMMdim rt