Keokuk Demands Good Laws

KEOKUK DEMAND8 GOOD LAWS. Civic Federation Opens Fight for Reform Begun by Billy Sunday. Keokuk, Feb. 27. The formation of a civic federation is now engaging the minds of Keokuk people. A petition has been signed a meeting held and preliminary measures are now being taken for tt\e. holding of an organization meeting this week. The petition or pledge, as follows shows the object of the federation: "We the undersigned, declare ourselves In favor of the enforcement of the laws governing the community and hereby pledge ourselves to compel and sustain the officers chosen and sworn to such duty in the enforcement of such laws particularly the lawB governing gambling and disorderly houses and the mulct law governing saloons. We agree to use every effort Vnoral, material and political, to bring about such enforcement." The meeting held by the signers of this petition was presided over by Judge H. H. Trimble and took a rather more conservative view than the pledge would indicate, though one of the speakers declared -that the people "could impeach the city council, and especially the mayor," for the manner In which the saloon question has been handled. "Billy" Sunday's advent Into Keokuk somewhat quickened the moral sentiment on the subject and while a deference for the law has been In the hearty of many of the people all along the other side so dominated locaJ political conditions that\ the voice for law would be drowned out by the louder and mora vociferous and defiant cries o£ "Down with the law!" As the election for city officers, including1 a mayor .occurs on the first Monda^sln April, the city and ward pol itictans are anxiously inquiring what all this means and meditating seriously as to the result of the new movement.