Michigan's Liquor Law

Ann Arbok, May 26, 1880. Having fouud Grand Rapids and Kiilamuzoo famous saloon towns I next visited Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. These two places are educational towns. Tliey are comparatively small. Ypsilanti has 6,000 people and Ann Arbor lias about 10,000. Both, however, are great saloon towns. Ypsilanti has 13 saloons and Ann Arbor has 40. A saloon keeper in Ypsilanti told tne that a good saloon in that towu would beat a bank. He said the day had passed for cheap saloons in Ypsilanti. He said liis patronage came from the business men - men who knew what good liquor was. Thcy demanded good goods and had money to pay for it. They wanted a clean, pleasant place. In order to hold this trade the saloon keeper must keep a respectable bar. The saloons of Ypsilanti pay the town about $4,000 annually. Ypsilanti haa a reputation for gambling. I was told this before I got there. I made some inquines in the town. The boys thought I contemplated opening up a room. It geemed to be the general wish to have a new, and bttter-litted room. They claimed their present rooui was beneath the dignity of the town. I did not vlsit the room, but it was notorious. The grosser vice is kept in close subjection. Diinking and gambling are the only excesses that are openly permitted. Ypsilanti is the seat of the Michigan Otate Normal School. It has also ii very naat successful female seminary. It isaneat, oldfashioned towu. I met here the only intoxicated man I saw wlule in the state. Hu was a colored gentleman. He voluntecrcd his services in showing me the town. He placed himself absolutely at my service, ami seeined to regret that he could not place the whole town in the sanie contlition. He was cleverly drunk and exeeedlngly polite. I went to Ann Arbor with a feeling of unusual interest. As the Slocumb law of Nebraska was the outgrowth of an ordinance passed by the city council of Lincoln, so the present tax law ot Michigan is the outgrowth of an ordinance passed by tus comiiion council of Ann Arbor. Whilc the prohibitory clause was i part of the State Constitutioti, Ann Arbor passed an ordinance licensing salOOQI. TbU was regarded u an open rebellion against the constitution of the state. The Supreiue Court of Michigan in 1873, sustained the Ann Arbor ordinance. 'Die court held that a saloon was only a "place of refreshnient" and not a place ot intoxicating liquors. It was notorious tliat every saloon in Ann Arbor was a regular liqnor saloon. The ordinuuce was passed for the express purpose of taxiug and regulüting these liquor houses. The Supreme Curt shut its eyes to what every man, woman and cliild in Michigan regarded a saloon to be and held on to Worcester's detiintion that a saloon was only a "place of refreshinent." Judge Cooley, for soine reason, took no part in ttiis remarkable decisión. The balance of the court, howerer were unlted. Ann Arbor won the day. It began to tax its aioons. The reault was leu saloons and a better class of saloons and a larger revenue. Other cities feil in line. Under the protection of the Supreme Court saloon licenses becamecomruoii throughout the state. They becaine ao popular that the Legislature of 1875 by a two-thlrds majority subtnitted to the people an amendment to the constitution of the state striking the prohibitory clause out of it. The people At a nou-partisan electlon voted the prohibitory clause out by about 8,000 majority. The present tax law was then adopted. Thus the little ordinance passed by the common council of Ann Arbor grew until at last it covered as with a wet blankut the entire state. This was all done in a state that gave the boss vote lor St. John; the state that boasts of having no distilleries; the state that possesses great intelligenee, induatry and wealth ; the stute that ín its inoráis, its churches and schools is the special pride of the West. Ann Arbor in its general character and appearance is quite like Kalalnazoo. It is a beautif ui city. It is prosperous and wealthy. Ite great University is its National pride. There are always from 1,000 to 1,500 studente here from all parts of the country in attentlance upon the various departments of the University. The churches of Ann Arbor are especially fine and the divines are men of marked learuing and ability. Nevertheless Ann Arbor has 40 saloons. They all occupy iirst-clasB rooms and seem to be doing a flrst-class business. I saw Mr. George H. Pond, the city editor of the Couriku. He ie also a mernber of the city council and is the city clerk. He told me they had fortyseven saloons. last year, and thnt under uon-enforced prohibition they had 80 saloons and the worst kind. "We are uniting," said he "agaiiift the excesses. We are uniting all classes. Those who drink and they wbo do not drink. We are by our tax law setting the worst places weeded out. We are mnking all who sell responsible by imple bonds, for uÜM to minors and druakardi md for keeping open at imprnper hours." I also visited Prof. J. B. Steere of the University faculty. Like Prof. Fellowt, of our lowa University, Prof. i uu uncompromising prohibitiouist. I was delighted, however, tliat lie bad been elected n memoer of tbc city council of Aun Arbor, upon a ticket pledged to enforce the tax iaw. Tbittk of Ihat Prof'. Fellows! Prof. Steere Ba ja (t is ri-;ht at all times to restrict wrong; tb at the tax law, if euforced, preven ts sales to aÜUOM and to drunkards. In this mucb it is rlght. Wbila we would go fartbei and prohibit all .-ales, he believes iartial prohibition to be better thatl none at all. I have said in a previous letter Ihut the Michigan tax law is the poorest law 1 know of. tío it is. It is, uevertheles, an infinite itnprovemcut on non-enforced prohibition. lu my next, wblob íball be uiy last, Michigan letter I dttire to show tliat the present condition of Miohtffan Is due most larjtcly to the Impracticable and visionary metlimls of the prohibitionists of the stilte. Tbere no raaioo why they Bhould not beforc now have reduced the na low as in any state in the Union. Instead of tliat they have a tlafflc tliat is enurmous and have a law tlitit nearly every statu in the Union, Noith and South, would reject with contempt. COUNTY AND VICINITY. Dexter expects to have a new eider mili this fiill. Hanchestar'a walks are in a bad way (sidewalks of courae.) Xorth Lakerscompluiu of the cut worm working in their corn. The Lutherans of Ypsilanti are talking of erecting ¦ new parsonage. Biigs, Gregory, Jedele& Co., wlll buy woel tbr the Dexter market. Died, at Scio milis. Muy 22d, of consuiuption, Miss Mary Corlett, aged 2G. L. Palmer & Son of Dexter aro supplying Anu Arbor fruit gro'wers rith baskets. Tbc Chelsea's 2d 9 went down to Dexter last week and scooped the Dexter 2d 9 22 tol4 in 3 inniugs. Beeause of dry weutber some of Sharon's farmers fear their hay and wlieat erop will be a poor one. A number of farmers com pi a In of liaving young lambs killed by the crows. - Manchester Enterprise. The M. W. B. A. of Hillsdale, has orcranized a new board at Manchester witli 30 metnber?. Mat I). U losser is the president. Prof. Waller, öupt. of schools ut Dexter was given a happy surprise by teachers, pupils and frieuds, last Wednesday evening. The new calendar for the State Normal School at Ypsilauti has been issued, contains 72 paites, and shows 870 students in all departnients. John Dixon, a workman at the gravel pit }4 niile north of Dexter villaje was seriously lujured last Wednesday by the caving In of a bank. The union school board decided at their meeting, Tuesiiay night, to inviti' the old corps of teachers to'remain the coming year. - Saline Observer. C'harley Blngham has accepted a " sit '' in mi Anu Arbor cigar factory and started Tuesday to commence work. Charley makes a dandy cifrar. - So. Lyon Excelsior. Mr. and Mis. Mell Barnes arrived yesterday forenoon trom Quincy. Among their weddlnfr presentí was a $1,000 check to the groom from his father.- Milan Leader. TLe Webster Reading Circle is to have a strawberry and ice cream festival at the house of Keuben Queal, on Friday evening. June llth. An Ann Arbor band will discourse uiusic. From the number of reapers we see jfoing into the countrj-, we conclude that farmers are calculating on havinj; a good cropof wheat notwithstandinj; the reports to the coutrary. - Enterprise. Children's day will be obsorved at the M. E. Church of North Lake, on the 13th of June. A hundred programs, with plenty of birds and flowers. Qood music will help to ruake an ïnteresting time. The only feature of the great strike epidemie that has spread all over the country that bas struck Caelsea, is the strike of the hannnersemployed in erecting new buildings. Longmay their strikecontinue. -Echo. The Drum Major's stad of the Dexter juvenile band is nmv handled by our "devil," Bert Lathrop. Bert is a first-class "devil,"and always on time, and from the scientilic marnier in which he handles the baton, we bespeak for him equal success in his new positton. - Leader. Mrs. Sarah Alley and daughter Sarah accompanied Mrs. John W. Pierce, to Peru, Ind., last Tuesday morning, which place they will make their future home. Mrs. Alley has been B reiident of Dexter and vicinity for nearly 40 years, being one of the old pioneera of Webster. - Dexter Leader. The 4th of July draws near apace, and what are citizens of Chelsea going to do about it. Most of our neighboring towns are agitating a proper observance of the Nation's approachinggbirthday. - Chelsea Echo. If the citizens of Chelsea desire to have a real good, old-fashioned time, they .should come to Ann Aibor. The proud bird of liberty will scream here in all its nristine irlorv. A man stole 8ome clothes and a shot run nesr Aun Arbor one night recently. Sheriff Walsh como down here Wednesday to look for the tliief, aml Ín company with depnty Sheriff Joseph Gauntlett, traced him to the "bi?swamp" a few miles south of (tria villiige. Offlcer Gauntlett, witli ti id usual good luck, was the first one to run across the fujritive, whom lio cap tu red at tlie muzzle of a revolver, as the tliief showed some signs of using the stolen gun as a defender. He was brought to tliis place and longed in the lockup til 1 5 o'clock, when the sheriff proceeded with him to Ann Arbor. - Milán Leader. The Ypsilantian givesthe K. O. T. M'b. the following sendofffor their recent celehration in thut city : "Acres and acres of lun were produced by the parade of the K ínclita of Maccabees, last night, thou;U it w;i8 somewkat thinly spread, owing to the rapid passage of the flying column tlirough the streets. The Ypsilanti band led the procession, and liad evldently turned out in such liaste that they forgot to remove their night-shirts. Ked llghts and Roman candlesilluminated the scène, and niasks were worn designed to expresa the wisdom and beiii'iiity that membeisliip In the order statnps unon the Jcharacter. Several visiting Knights purtioipated in the parade." Last Sunday was a notablo day in the history of the Congregatioiial cliurcli of thlg city. Tlie bi-monthly communion service, postponed from the first Sabbath in Mav because of the suecial meetines tbeii in progresa, was celebrated, af ter the formal reception iuto fellowship of 73 per sous, beside four others wtio liad been roceived by vote of the church bul were deUineil f rom this service and will enter into fellowship at the next coiuinunion. These Include tïïty adulta, and thirty heads of inmilies: and two-tliinls ol'the otliers were frotn 13 to 20 yeurs of age. This is a most valuable 'and iuiportaut additiou to the membersbip of a young churuh, and the occasion was one of very great gladooM and thanks;iving. - Ypsilautian. The fo]lowinr strauge story U told by the NortU Lake correspondent of the Dexter Leader. It can't be tliat too much " old rye" ut seedinj; time did the int I "V. K. Stevenson the largest wheal raiser in thls town, issurprised andvexed to see n larjre percentage ot his wlieat, as tuppoaed, head out as rye. He j;ot his seed oí a neighbor, who sowed out of the sanie bin, and has no ryo in his growing wheat. Mr. Ötevenson has notgrown rye or hadan y seed on his ferm tor seven or ei;;lit yeiirf, and never hasgrown it on the lieltls now iu wheat lilled with rye. SohM one picase account for it f There is aaother instance of a similar case ou four acres of a farm Unit never grew a Hpriir 01 rye. It was sown with seed that looked pcrfcctly olean and xood."