Encyclopedia Dubuque
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PROHIBITION
PROHIBITION. Efforts forbidding the manufacture, transportation or sale of intoxicating beverages has a long history in Dubuque. The following chronological list of events was found in Franklin T. Oldt's History of Dubuque County.
1838
In March, 1838, the citizens assembled at the Methodist church and organized a temperance society with Judge Lockwood president and John Plumbe, Jr., secretary, and decided on a basis of total abstinence.
1840
At the monthly meeting of the Catholic Temperance Society in March, 1840, over three hundred persons were present, including many ladies; nineteen persons took the pledge. Among the speakers were Quigley, Benton, Davis, Bradford, Goodrich and Collins, nearly all of whom were lawyers. The Protestants also had a large temperance society. It was thought at this date that soon one-third of all Dubuque would have signed the pledge.
1841
"A complete temperance reformation has been effected by the zeal of the Catholic clergy among its much abused Irish citizens in whose hands the glass has given place to implements of industry. Nor is the reformation confined to them alone — it has spread throughout the community, embracing every class and every denomination. Almost every Irish Catholic has signed the pledge of total abstinence. (Bloomington, April 16, 1841)
1851
George L. Dickinson kept a popular temperance hotel in 1851. A strong temperance movement swept the city early in the fifties;the Maine liquor law was advocated by many.
1855
A bill for the suppression of intemperance was opposed in the legislature by Representative Samuels on constitutional grounds; this prohibitory law was passed in February, 1855. In March, 1855, when the Bishop of Dubuque issued a communication to his clergymen favoring the passage of the Iowa Prohibition law, the Tribune, really a Knownothing sheet, commended the act in warm terms, while the Herald laughed at the incongruity ; the latter published twenty-five objections to the law. Immense temperance meetings were held here while the bill was pending. One of the big meetings of Protestants thanked Bishop Loras for his letter to the Catholics of Iowa. Rev. W. Guernsey, a fiery Congregational minister, called Ben. M. Samuels, who had opposed the prohibitory law in the legislature, the "gutter champion." The Bishop later said he favored no political party — was simply in favor of temperance and against the liquor interests. The Germans of Dubuque did all they could to defeat the prohibitory law. They held mass meetings and passed resolutions denouncing the bill. Action against liquor dealers who violated the Iowa prohibitory law was taken in July, 1855, by the seizure of liquors.
1860
"The year 1860 has been remarkable in this section for a sort of voluntary temperance movement. There has been no organization, no apparent external movement; but simultaneously as it were, in the month of January, a large number of hard drinkers voluntarily suspended operations in this direction. It numbers among the victims men of all classes, ages and conditions — honorables, ex-honorables, lawyers, doctors, bootblacks, horse jockeys, editors, printers, river men, hodcarriers — fellows who indulged in Heidsieck, Moussiere lager, 'hale' and all the brands of whisky from 'instant death' and 'just around the corner' to the longer ranges such as 'eighty-rod' and 'Minie rifle.' There are other changes as marked." — {Herald, March 1, 1860.) During the summer of 1860 the Dubuque Temperance Society petitioned the city council to close saloons, gardens, etc., on the Sabbath. At the same time a petition signed by several hundred citizens asked that no such Sunday law be passed. After sharp debate both petitions were laid on the table. It was claimed that the existing Sunday law was strong enough if enforced.
1862
The bill of 1862, which aimed to stop the manufacture and sale of lager beer in Iowa, was vehemently denounced here by press and mass meetings.
1874
A big temperance crusade was started here in March, 1874; the liquor people united in oppo- sition and demanded the license system. The crusaders demanded the enforcement of the existing prohibitory law. In 1873 the liquor trade here was about $500,000; should this be abolished Dubuque finances would receive a deadly blow, it was stated. Many of the best citizens resolved to back the liquor interests in their fight for existence under a license system. Immense meetings were held by both sides. The crusade did not succeed because it attacked liquor selling and not intemperance. It assumed that it was a crime to use intoxicating liquors. The law had the right to punish men for becoming drunk, but not for drinking. Liquors were seized and numerous suits resulted.
1875
Late in 1875 a temperance crusade secured 400 signers to the pledge.
1882
Governor St. John of Kansas spoke here in the Tabernacle on "Prohibition," in June. On the question of amending the prohibitory law the vote in Dubuque stood 1,223 for the amendment; 6,283 against the amendment; the amendment was carried in the state by a large majority. The law was declared unconstitutional the same year.
1884
On July 3, 1884, the new prohibition law went into effect; saloons here did business about as usual, though apprehensively-. The Personal Liberty Society held regular meetings to consider the situation. Informers were led to understand that they would get into serious trouble if they interfered. Secret anti-prohibition meetings were held; J. P. Farley was one of the leaders of the movement for the enforcement of the law.
1885
There were forty liquor cases in the federal court in September, brought by the Citizens' League.
1886
Under the Clark liquor law sharp action against the saloons here was taken in the summer of 1886.
1888
Judge Lenehan ordered forty-seven permanent injunctions against saloon keepers in August. By the end of the year were were ninety-nine.
1891
The liquor interests were called "River Rats of the Rum Counties" by the prohibition orators.
1907
In March, 1907, a mass meeting against illegal saloons was held at the opera house. Archbishop Keane was the principal speaker. The saloons were violating the Sunday and night closing ordinance. The Law and Order League began numerous legal proceedings against them.
1908
The Moon liquor bill became a law this year. It limited the number of saloons to one in every 1,000 population.
1909
A delegation of Dubuque's business men was sent to Des Moines in 1909 to appear before the senatorial committee to protest against the resubmission of prohibition to the vote of the people as a constitutional amendment.
The image of Dubuque residents being less than enthusiastic about prohibition began on the first "dry" Saturday in 1916 when movement on the bridge into Illinois had to be stopped until the traffic snarls leading to "wet" Illinois were cleared.
The number of East Dubuque liquor licenses soared despite a doubling of the license fee. Little effort was made to apprehend those bringing liquor back into Iowa. Mobs of Dubuque residents were also found in East Dubuque on the evening before January 16, 1920, the day Prohibition became a national policy.
Fear of unannounced visits by state liquor agents led local bartenders and citizens to develop methods of hiding their illegal liquor. It was said that the lanterns shining from belvederes on several Dubuque homes were used to signal bootleggers. After the construction of some buildings, basements were dug to hide liquor storage.
One bartender hid his store of liquor in an unused elevator shaft. Another resorted to a hole in the floor. When a bottle was needed, it was lifted through the hole. Unannounced searches by state agents led to a brick being dropped through the hole breaking whatever evidence lay below. Boat owners often appeared to have two anchor ropes dangling in the water-one actually tied to their favorite brand of liquor.
Bootleggers were estimated to have made $100 million dollars in the first year of prohibition as beer went from a nickel to a quarter a glass. Such profits attracted mob interest. It was said that bootleggers used the old DUBUQUE BREWING AND MALTING COMPANY. Violence was directed at property and people. On April 13, 1933, Prohibition was officially repealed in Iowa.
The era was the background for a musical comedy, JOE SENT ME! written by Paul HEMMER.
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Oldt. Franklin T. History of Dubuque County. http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/franklin-t-oldt/history-of-dubuque-county-iowa-being-a-general-survey-of-dubuque-county-histor-tdl/page-10-history-of-dubuque-county-iowa-being-a-general-survey-of-dubuque-county-histor-tdl.shtml