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LIDLESS BELLEVILLE WELCONES
THIRSTY FROM UD TOWNS-
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Belleville, Illinois, through her Mayor,
Fred J. Kein, welcomes the lidded
world and offers it the hospitality of a
community that has never known and
never expects to know the meaning of
the potent three-lettered word, L-I-D.
These are his words: "The world is
welcome to Belleville. Its citizens
ean't come too thick or too fast to please
us, We shall be glad if we can shi re
with them the liberty we possess.
"Our town has more liberty and less
vice than any other town in the world.
1 expect no trouble from the guests
of the lid. We shall not put them in
classes and refer to some of them as
'riff-raff.' We shall treat all alike.
If a man wears common clothing that
will make no difference to us. He
shall be given the same consideration
as if he wore the best,
"Shoul.1 the crowds that come become
unmanageable the citizens of Belleville
will assist the police force in maintain-
ing order.
Citizens Aid The Police
"This has been done in the past, and
the citizens did the work willingly and
asked no pay for their services. If
every man in Belleville has to be made
a police officer because of the lids in
other cities there will still be no lid in
Belleville.
Mayor Kern said his words slowly,
but positively, as he sat in the swing
ing chair of his book-walled "den."
An electric fan was above his head,
but it had nothing to do but suggest
comfort, the air that came through the
half-closed shutters was not in need of
fanning.
The "den is his editorial sanctum,
since Mayor Kern is also the editor of
a daily paper, the Belleville News-
Democrat, as well as the Mayor of his
town.
He is a large healthy-looking man
whose light-colored hair perr.its his
high forehead as much liberty as it
pleases, but whose grayish-blue eyes
have a discerning look and seem pos-
sessed of an ability to analize in two
glances all those upon whom they may
look
His mouth is small and has a pen-
chant for [the sarcastic look. It can
say words well, and has given its own-
er a reputation as a speaker of ability.
Definition Of The "L,id,"
The Mayor of Belleville is better
looking when he discards sarcasm and
lets himself appear as a frank-faced
kindlv chief executive of a quiet, law-
abiding cummunitv.
This is his definition of the word
"lid": "That which is producive of
hypocrits than any other device con-
ceived by the ingenuity of man."
The Mayor of Belleville does not
make up definitions and let them stand
or fall on their own merits. He gives
you an instance every time. Here's
the one that serves for this: "I visited
in an Illinois town that was a lid recent-
ly. In Illinois the lid is dependent up-
on the Mayor of the town. He has lid
power like unto that of the Governor of
Missouri. If an Illinois Mayor wants
a lid he can have it.
"I was the guest of the Mayor of
this town. He had been elected upon a
lid ticket and the saloons of his town
were closed. At least their front
doors were. 1 went with the Mayor
into the rear door of the saloon and
drunk with him the drinks that were
served by the proprietor of the saloon.
As he drank the Mayor laughed at the
smartness of the saloon keeper in
eluding the law.
Lid Near Belleville,
'Remember that that man's oppon-
ent, who was openly anti-lid, was de-
feated."
The lid will be within three miles of
Belleville after Tuesday if the annexa-
tion election which will cause Belleville
to expand several miles westward is
successful.
Until last Sunday there was no lid
between Belleville, and the Mississippi
River, but East St. Louis went under
cover that day and now Belleville is
bounded on the West by the east St
Louis lid and surrounded on other sides
by the lids of other Southern Illinois
towns.
Lids are more general in Illinois than
Where Two Friends Part.
Four months ago Harry Gil-
strap of the Chandler News and
the State Capital played the
Flynn-Ferguson slide trombone,
side by side, now listen to this:
Quite a iittle attention has been
attracted by the reports ot the
informal meetings of some two
hundred Republicans, which was
held at El Reno last Saturday
for the purpose of conferring up-
on matters relating to the wel-
fare of the party in the new state.
The character and purposes of
the meeting have been misrepre-
is usually supposed. Mayor Kern says
that there is scarcely a town in Illinois
of the same size, as Belleville that is
without a whole or partial lid.
"They comply with the law, then?"
was asked.
"Public sentiment makes law," he
answered. "Let those who will, call
us law violators. There is an old law
on the statute books in regard *o Sun-
day closing of saloons. We do not
break it, we just set it aside by com-
mon consent.
Some Places Need Lid.
"I grant that there are some places
in the world where a lid is necessuy.
Belleville is not one of these. I believe
also that public sentiment should be
hearkened to. If the members of the
community want a lid they should have
it.
"There is no sentiment, so far as I
know, in favor of a lid in Belleville.
The church people have never asked
for it. 1 don't know whether we have
a W. C. T. U. We used to, some time
ago, but no request has come to my
office from the organization about the
lid,
"Let those who talk of law breaking
think twice before they apply the term
to us of Belleville. We actually keep
the laws that other cities of larger
size make a pretence at observing.
There is no gambling in Belleville,
there are no wineroomB, there is no
social evil.
"Time was when there was a great
deal of gambling. I declared against
it when the mothers of the town came
and begged me to do so. Ours is a
town where there are many young men
who make good salaries, for instance
glass blowers, machinists and workers
in other factories. Gamblers from St.
Louis, East St. Louis and others from
Belleville used to fleece them of their
money.
Raids Stopped Gambling.
"Homes were in want because of the
gambling and I was informed. I had
raids, real raids, not make-believe ones,
made upon the gambling houses. Ar-
rests were made and among those ar-
rests were some of the leading young
men of the town who were personal
friends of mine. They were prosecut-
ed and gambling died.
"We have no slot machines. They
were disposed of in a like manner.
"The social evil we do not permit at
all, but we do keep our saloons open on
Sunday, We believe that the Sunday
is not a day for long faces, but a day
of enjoyment and we want others as
well as ourselves to have a good time.
"Some speak of 'personal liberty,'
we call the right to have saloons open
merely liberty.
"Order in Belleville, which is a city
of 25,000, is kept by a police force
made up of a Chief, a Captain a Serge-
ant and 15 patrolmen. We had a cir-
cus in Belleville last Sunday and the
lid was on in East St. Louis yet our
arrests numbered but three.
More Harm Than good.
'We are spending more money for
•treet improvement* than any town of
the same size in United States. We
have contracted for an antiseptic fewer
that will cost 175,000. Let no one say
that because we refuse to follow the
fashion in lids that are unprogressive.
"No man was ever made good by the
lid. The lid has done more harm than
good. The lid is one piece of prohibi-
tion, and experience has demonstrated
that while prohibition makes hypo-
crites and sneaks of men it does not
promote temperance. I am against
the lid."
Mayor Kern was born on a farm near
Belleville. He was a coal miner in his
youth, but because of an accident
which occured in his 20th year he
studied for the teaching profession
and was for several terms a student at
the State Normal School at Norma1,
III. He taught school Ave years and
then became interested in newspaper
work. He is now the editor and pro-
nrietor of the News-Democrat.
He was elected to Congress in 1900 by
the'Democratic party. At the closs of
his term he was elected Mayor of Belle-
ville on the Good Government ticket.
He has held that position for two
terms.
sented in most reports. Demo-
cratic papers have called it a
"boss-busters' meeting-, and the
Capital, while admitting that the
meeting was attended by the men
under whose leadership the Re-
publican partv has won its great-
est victories, tries to create the
impression that r.n effort was
made to work up a bolt. The
Capital knows better, cf course,
but is in that unfortunate posi-
tion where it must be responsible
to railroad and territorial print-
ing influence, rather than its bet-
ter impulses of honesty and fair-
ness The El Reifo meeting was,
as a matter of fact, a notable
gathering. No formal invitations
were issued, no advertising was
done, and yet nearly every coun-
ty in Oklahoma was represented. |
It was not a "star chambet"!
gathering, as has been stated, but. •
on the contrary, the doors were
open to all. Those in attendance]
included men who have 'been and j
still are conspicuous for their
loyal and efficient service to the j
party. It was not a gathering of j
sore-heads and has-beens. It was j
not an occasion for airing gricv- j
ances ot the disapointed, It was j
a meeting of Republicans who be-1
lieved in Republican principles
and who gloried in the record of
the Rtpublcian party. Several
of the members of the first Re-
qublican territorial committee
were there; many who have been
delegates in all the Repblican
conventions were there; two ter-
mer chairmen of the territorial
committee, who led the party in
successful campaigns, participa-
ed; four of the six delegates to
the nation?l convention which
nominated Theodore Roosevelt
for president were among ;hc
speakers Ex-Governor Fergu-
son, ex-Delegate Flynn,Jand many
others whom the party has hon-
ored and stil honors for what
they have done, were present.
There was no boosting of iddivid-
uals, nor was there a hint of par-
ty disloyalty.
constitutional convention is to)
short.
The Oklahoma board, however,
will make no announcements con-
cerning tne districts or other mat-
ters-until after the Indian Terri-
tory board has completed its
work.
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disaijreable medicines, when you can
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DR MENDENHAU/S
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Sharon Baptist church, L.elair, Ga ,
says of Electric Bitters; "It is a God-
send to mankind. It cured me of lame
back, stiff joints, and complete physi-
cal collapse. 1 was so weak it took me
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at all drug stores. Price 50c.
Constitutional Board
To Finish August 16.
A
It is now practically certain
that the board for forming dis-
tricts from which delegates will
be selected to the constitutional
convention from the western half
of the new state will complete its
work net later than the i6th ot
August. This will depend in a
measure upon the action of the
Indian Territory board since it is
the desire to wipe out the line
dividing the two Territories and
frhe districts are being formed
with this object in view by the
boards of both Oklahoma and In-
dian Territory.
There has been considerable
speculation for some time as to
when the canvassing board would
meet after the election. This
board will be composed of the
governor, territorial secretary,
territorial treasurer or attorney
general, or any three of these
Now that it is practically settled
that the election of delegates to
the constitutional convention will
be held November C, next, some-
hurry-up work will be necessarv
from the canvassing board. The
statehood bill prov des that the
d^ltgates to the convention shall
meet in Guthrie en the second
Tuesday after their election, ex-
cluding the day of election in case
:uch day shall b" Tuesday. The
territorial statutes n',..ke it neccs
sarv tor the canvassing board to
meet in Guthrie on the Monday
before the last Wednesday in No
vember. Consequently the board
will meet the lQth of November
and the convenience on the 2"th
There is a provision in the law
that if after ten days all the re-
turns of the election are not in, a
special messenger must be sent
to the county clerks who have
caused the delay and the returns
at once be made. There will
necessarily be a delay along these
lines, districting board of Okla-
homa has been confronted with
this problem, some of the mem-
bers holding that the canvassing
board and the holding of the
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via the
G. A. R. Encampment
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VERY CHEAP RATES
Tickets on sale from Kansas points
August 11, 12, 13, and from Oklahoma
and Indian Territory points August 10,
11, 12. Final liirii August 31, but on
payment of 50c extension fee, limit will
be extendel to Sep'emte.- 30.
••
The Eagles Annual
Meeting
At Milwaukee & Chicago
VERY LOW RALES
Tickets on sale August 11, 12, and 13.
Final Return limit August 22.
••
Tie "Frisco" will al.-o have special
Merchants' rates to St Louis, Kansas
City, Chicago and St Joseph on certain
dates during August and September.
For full information see the
Frisco agent, or address
F. E. Clark,
Div. Pass. Agent, Wichita, Kas.
D. C. Farrington,
Trav. Pass. Agent
Oklahoma City, Okla.
: SEALS
No. 1 SEAL
No. 2 SEAL
No. 3 SEAL
$2 00
2 50
3 00
These prices are for SEALS
delivered to any postoflice or ex-
press office in Oklahoma. We
can furnish anything in plain or
automatic, self-inking and act-
ing RUBBER STAMPS.
Write for prices on what you
want to the
THE LAUX-BEAMER CO.
Abstracts, Insur-
ance, Loans.
AgentN Amfrli HU Sure > Co., New York.
REAL ESTATE
List your farms
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Opposite Governmont Bid. GUTHRIE. OKLA
OKLAHOMA
RESCUE HOME
Oklahoma & IndianTerritory
HOME FOR ERRING 6IRLS
AN OPEN DOOR FOR ANY
UNFORTUNATE WOMAN
OR GIRL 
For information write or see
ANNA L. WITTEMAN, Supt.
or Mrs. Pearl Holmes, Matroa
1021 E. Noble Ave., Guthrie
Oklahoma
Printing Co.
Summer Rates to
Colorado, Utah and Wyoming
June ist to September 30, 1906
Commencing June 1, and dailv thereafter up to and in-
cluding' Sep. 30. The Santi Fe, (the Pioneer Line of the
west) offers you summer tickets to Denver, Colorado Spg's.
Pueblo, Trinidad, Glenwood Springs Salt Lake City Ogden,
at practically one fare for the round trip, all carrying- a
return limit of October 31. Liberal stop-overs will be al-
lowed at points west of Pueblo, both going and returning.
In connection with above, half fare tickets will be on
sale at Pueblo, Colorado Spring-s, Denver and Manitou to
all interior Colorado points, also to Santa Fe, New Mex.
Shculd you desire further information in connection with that
Colorado trip, kindly call at or phone to union station and oblige
N. M, Cochrell, Agent.
MISSOURI PACIFIC R.R.
The Favorite St.Louis line
Six trains daily each di-
rection between . •. . .
KANSAS CITY AND ST. LOUIS
Everything first class
DINING AND SLEEPING
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The best to be obtained.
First class service KANSAS
CITY to OMAHA and the
NORTHWEST.
See that your tickets read via the JIISSOURI PACIFIC RAILWAY
You'll not regret it.
C. E. STYLES, E. E. BLECKLEY.
GUTHRIE
OKLA
105 7 North First St.
REI5TLE5 PLATE5 ARE RIGHT
REI5TLE5 RATES ARE RIGHT
FRANK REISTLE
ENGRAVER and ELECTROTYPER
P"Q«r IIM 1420-24 LMVMftCl DtftVlA COLO
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A. G. I'. A., Kansas CjtV. Mo.
T. V. A., Wichita, Kh..
St. LOUIS, EL RENO
& WESTERN
Direct, Short Line Between Guthrie and El Reno
Quickest Time, Lowest Fare to
Hobart Lawton Mangum
Anadarlr > Chickasha Weatherford
AND
Other points located on the Rock Island System. Making
close connection at Guthrie for all points North and East
Lv. Guthrie, f 8:15 a.m. Ar. El Reno 11130 a. m,
Lv. Guthrie, *5:00 p.m.
Lv. El Reno * 8:00 a. m.
Lv. El Reno f 3:ir p. m.
Lv El Reno §10:00 a. ui.
Lv Guthrie 7 00 p. m.
t Mixed train, Daily except Sunday
* Passenger train, Daily except Sunday
§ Passenger train, Suuday only.
W. S. WELLS, Commercial Agent
GUTHRIE, OKLA.
Ar. El Reno 6:50 p. m.
Ar. Guthrie 9:50 a. m.
Ar. Guthrie 6:25 p. m,
Ar Guthrie 11150 a. m.
Ar El Reno 8:50 p. m.
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Ideal summer resorts, offering every convenience for
boating bathing, fishing and other out-of-door sports.
Over 300 lake resorts easily reached from Kansas Citv
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Leaves Union Station, Kansas City 5:55 p.m.-
Grand Avenue 6:07 p. m. Arrives Union'
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Connects with trains to northern and eastern resorts. Folders free
C. L. COBB
Southwestern Passenger Agent,
907 Main St. Kansas City, Mo.