Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 98, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 August 1908 — DEMOCRATIC PUNK IS A TRAP [ARTICLE]

DEMOCRATIC PUNK IS A TRAP

Fred Roher Calls Local Option Pretense a Snare and a Delusion.

Louis Ludlow, staff correspondent of the Indianapolis Star, writing from Berne, Ind., says: That the local option plank of the Democratic state platform is a delusion and a snare, and a trap for the unwary, is the substance of a chargp made in an interview today by Fred Rohrer, who, perhaps, is the most prominent and experienced German temperance worker in Indiana. One of the claims of the brewers In the present campaign is that the Democratic state platform, as well as the platform of the Republicans, stands for temperance legislation, and that the only difference is the unit. Mr. Rohrer, who has been fighting saloons for more than twenty years, and who is familiar with the tricks and dodges of the brewery element, warns the people of the state that the enactment of the sort of local option proposed by the Democrats would turn the hands of progress backward for at least a decade In Indiana, and would be a great triumph for the saloon. Would Harm Temperance Cause. "I hope,” said Mr. Rohrer, “that no temperance man in Indiana will vote for township and ward local option, as proposed by the Democrats and brewers, under the falase notion that in so doing he will aid the cause of temperance. As a matter of fact he could hardly do the temperance cause a greater Injury. “The Democratic local option plank is a measure purely In the Interest of the saloons and breweries,” continued Mr. Rohrer, “and if it Is enacted into law the temperance people will be required to fight all over Indiana to hold the ground they have gained by remonstrance work. It would mean the opening of a terrific battle In Indiana between the saloon forces, with the saloon forces on the aggressive and the temperance forces on the defensive. Furthermore, It would give the breweries and saloons such a tremendous advantage that the inevitable result would be the restoration of saloons lri many localities where they have been wiped out by remonstrance Remonstrance Law fa Good. "In the fierce fight which we have waged against saloons In this township I have filed twenty-four remonstrances, and I believe I have an accurate Idea aR to the workings of the remonstrance system. I have no hesitancy in saying that it furnishes an easy way of handling the saloons as compared with township and ward local option, which will supersede it in the event the Democrats win the state election. “The advantages of the present system as compared with ward and township local option ought to be apparent to anyone who will stop a minute to think. The present law has been tested in the fire of all the courts and held to be good. In my own case, for example, the fulfillment of the require ments of the remonstrance law is attended with no difficulties. I hold the povfrer of attorney of the temperance people of Monroe township, who are always in the majority by slxty-twc votes or more. In a rural .community like this, where the residents are per manent, the rule Is, once signed always signed. Whenever It Is convenient I go up to Decatur, the county ‘seat, and file a remonstrance which holds good against the saloon business in Monroe township for two years. No Friction Follows. “All of this Is accomplished without noise and without the slightest friction. The saloon element never knows where it Is at, so to speak. The remonstrance Hat Is secret until It Is filed, and it can be filed at any time." “On the other hand,” coatlnued Mr. Rohrer, “a ward and township local option law would open the dor to unlimited trickery and fraud. Hleetfons would be held and anyone familiar with the practices of the liquor men knows how easy It would be for them to pack the election against the better element and thus control the result. Any man residing within a precinot for thirty days would have a right to vote at one of these elections, and there Isn’t the slightest doubt that wherever the breweries were especially Interested in carrying an eleotion 'they would resort to colonization on a wholesale plan. _ "Under the remonstrance law the door is closed against this sort fraud. Ris Impossible to stufl a ballot boa by remonstreeoe. Every rev monatrater's name Is in black and.

white, and any person who cares to investigate as to his standing may do so. It would be impossible to identify the riffraff that would be run In to control an election. Present System Inexpensive. "Another advantage of the present system is that it Is. inexpensive, while a law requiring elections to be held in every ward and township would be a costly burden upon the tax^iyers. “I hope,” added Mr. Rohrer, "that the people of Indiana will give due consideration to the ganger of putting the Democratic local option proposition upon the statute books. It would not be a step forward, but a long step backward.” Mr. Rohrer Is an enthusiastic champion of county local option and commends it especially because under Its operation If a county refuses to go dry as a unit the remonstrance work in the several wards and townships would continue unimpaired. The history of the saloon fight in Berne makes Interesting reading and it goes to show that probably no other man in Indiana Is better qualified to speak of the probable effect of the Democratic ward and township local option proposition than Mr. Rohrer, who has been In the thick of the war here for a score of more of years. When Berne had a population of 400 twenty-five years ago it had four* saloons, one for every 100 inhabitants. The saloon keepers were defiant of public opinion. They did not observe the closing laws. They sold to minors and an applicant for liquor in any stage of intoxication could get it Homes were broken up and innocent women and children were reduced to the direst poverty. Mr. Rohrer’s father, John Christian Rohrer, Introduced in the community Rie temperance leaven which has been ,wording, ever since, He bafi come from Switzerland and he was the first Qerman in that country to sign & temperance pledge. He brought his temperance ideas witA him, and on Feb. 4, 1886, through his influence, a German temperance society was organized In Berne. This society has been working for twentytwo years, and it has entirely changed the sentiment of the community on the liquor question. Its first object was not to remove the saleonß, but to create a sentiment which would compel the saloon keepers to respect and obey the law. Gradually it developed Into a total abstinence society. The public began to look at the liquor business In a new light. As a result of loss of patronage one saloon keeper voluntarily quit business. Dec. S, 1902, two more saloons were closed by remonstrance. In February, 1903, a fund of SIO,OOO was subscribed by twenty aggressive temperance men, and in the following month the last saloon was put out of business by remonstrance. Assaulted Three Times. During tile saloon war Fred Rohrer, who publishes the Berne Witness, and who had succeeded his father as the : special chaihplon of temperance, was three times personally assaulted by I saloon keepers and their sympathizers j and his residence was partly demolished by two charges of dynamite. In the fight to rid the community of ; saloons the brunt of the battle has ; been borne by such prominent German citizens as Isaac Lehman, a wealthy farmer: Levi A. Springer, manager of a dry goods house and a bank director; Jacob C. Neuenschwander, a retired farmer; Dr. E. Frans, a physician; J. P. Habegger, director of the People’s- Bank; Benjamin Springer, proprietor of a shoe store; Jeff Springer, a merchant; W. J. Springer, proprietor of a music store; John Lehman, farmer and stockholder In the People’s Bank; Menno Burkhalter, a merchant; J. F. Lehman, ex-postmaster; Menno MeuenßChwunder, manager of the Berne Ice Cfeam company; C. A. Meuenschwander, president of the Dank of Berne, and Chris Reueeer, manager of a harness and hardware ■tore.