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Show hand with those of the saloon We have hoard this idea frequently promulgated pro-mulgated from the platform and pres and as often decried by the other ' side. It Is refreshing, therefore, to j get the facts in the case straight rrom : otflclul headquarters from the columns col-umns of the Cigar Makers' Official Journal. In its issue for February 15 I the. correspondent In pecatur, 111 , one of the many cities which have in i recent years gone under the new lo-I lo-I cal option rule, writes as follows; i "Trade is extremely dull In this city at the present time. 'Cause,' enforcement en-forcement of the local option law This city, and township In which it I is situated, voted on the local op-j op-j tlon j icstlon Just twenty -one months I ago. The election was carried by the j drys. or local optlonlsts. The law was never enforced until the last I few weeks. They had a change in the administration In the police department de-partment the last mouth or six weeks. 'Couscquenco, the law Is rig-Ic'ly rig-Ic'ly enforced There was In existence exist-ence and doing business up to tbe above- tt.iled time at least fifty solt drink TljiblLhments, and each and all of them carried a full line of union made cigars, mostly of homo product. These markets for our goods are now closed, we might Bay, with crepe on tho door. - - .It la really real-ly surprising how the trade has fail-1 en otf since this law has been enforced. en-forced. If the present conditions con-tlnuo, con-tlnuo, it doesn-t look good for the fu- ture. "Cigar makers throughout the country coun-try who will be advised from on who has had actual experience, whatever what-ever you do, use your bist endeavors to defeat jour enemy, local option. However, we have one refuge in view. This local option question will ugaln be submitted to the voters here on April 12, 1910. If we are strong enough to carry the day. and we can have the licensed saloon. It will bring a revival of trade, and Decatur will be as of yore " Well does the writer of tho above communication deplore the passing of the licensed Baloon. It is the licensed licens-ed saloon which sells more tobacco we might well add, bad tobacco, if there la any condition under which one kind of tobacco can bo classed as bad and another good than any mher agtney niUide of the store devoted to the sale of tobacco alone. It has been said that there is scarcely scarce-ly a saloon which does not carry a toCk of cheap. Inferior cigars which are passed out to the man who tel.'s the bartender to "Glm me a elsa'-' without specifying the brand. Tbl? Is by no means an Infrequent occurrence. occur-rence. The Ucensr-.i saloon Is a remarkable market for tobacco; but if tbe cigar makers union secures any special credit or distinction by such an open affiliation with that particular agency of iniquity, it 1h entirely welcomo to it. j RELATION OF TOBACCO AND j ALCOHOL. It. O. Eastman. Since the prohibition movement began, be-gan, tobacco uuers and representatives of the tobacco Interests have scoffed i at the idea 6o frt-quently put forth I that tho tobacco Interests go hand in |
