Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1871-03-03
PROHIBITION FHEORETICALs AND
PRACTICAL

The idea that a prohibitory law viii
be secured by the election Of Prohibit
zionist State aud county officers is
about as verdant as the assumption
that the passage of such law will put
an end to the liquor traffic. Except
ing only members of the legislature
there is no officer, county. or State,
who has anything to do with the pass
age of laws. probibitory or Otherwise.
The Governor has not even veto pow
er, and a State or county Auditor or
Treasurer has no more, in fact even
less influence in shaping or compelling
legislation than he would have as a
private citizen.
The great effort being made to OBJ
tain a prohibitory law by electing off,
GERS who have nothing to do with law
making seems, therefore, to be very
uhgainly, not to say, incongruous pro-
.ceeding, and to many plain minded
persons Will appear more like seeking
office for the sake of office than for the
sake of prohibition. Men do not ex-I
peet figs from thistles or that a bram-
ble-bush win produce buckwheat.-
Neither is it possible that AUDITORS.
Treasurers or School Commissioners
should give laws to the people, or pre-
sumo to say in the name of the COM
monwealth of Ohio, be it enacted thus
and so For that branch of the public
service branch of the State Govern
ment has been expressly constituted,
and it is called the General Assembly
The mem berss Of this dfligent body as
semb1e at the State Capitol once every
year, and there make and unmake a
great deal of law. That is their busi-
ness. No other officers, whether State
or county, taks any past therein, be-
cause it is not their business.
Now if prohibition people could get
control of the General Assembly they
could enact just sueh law as they
want. But until they do tLis they will
be as powerless as before, however
many of the offices they may get in
the Executive orJudiciaI departments
That all such officers should be men
of temperate habits is true enough,
! bat that is another matter. The Pro-
hibitiop organization does not make
the practice of temperance is party
shibboleth. It does not say that its
object is to put temperance men in
office but to secure a prohibitory law.
It is not temperance it wants but law.
We have seen it lighting men whose
habits, in a temperance point of view,
were above FepFoach, while at the same
| time it admits to its conventions, and
/ to chance for its nominations. all
citizens who 5eEteUe in prohibition and
will vote its ticket. Now belief is one
thing and practice is another, and it is
belief that is insisted upon. There is no
asking drqnkards to sign the pledge,
no insisting on their foreswearingt their
cups. The main thing, the aTl-impor-
tant thing, to make them good Prohi-
bitionists is to VoUe o certain ticket,
and to help elect certain persons to
Office. The duty Of arousing public
sentiment against the whisky traffic is
left mainly to others, while this or
ganization eRpends itself in trying to
create prejudice against the Republi-
can party and sehism tilereip, Not
liquor sellers but Republicans arc its
| objects of attack; not saving drunk
ards but saving offices is it's aspiration.
To as,ail liquor sellers would be more
unpopular, not to say disadvaptageous,
for it would ALLEVIATE the whisky vote
which, you know, would be bad for
the cause of prohibition.
i We confess we would have more
faith in this prohibition movement if
it gave at least some encouragement
to the enforcement of the temperance
laws we have. But so far as We can
see it contributes to this end neither
effort, money or sympathy. We have
repeatIy called attention to this fact,
and we now again ask. our readers to
observe 1t. There are several gentle
men going about soliciting peoples
votes, and inviting everybody, with
out distinction of race or previous con-
dition Of inebriety, to attend prohibi-
tion caucuses and conventions, bur
we fail to observe corresponding ae-
tivity on their part in the practical
work of saving diupkards and punish
| ing drunkard- makers.
IfitIs the determination nf the liquor
traffic that the prohibitionpeople want,
there is a plain and praei ieai way by
which it way be effected, and that inn
mediately. 1t involves no seramblinG
for Office, no political managing and
caucusing, no competition in the race
for official emolument and public plum
! der. 1t is simply the enforcement O.
our present enactmehts, The law o.
last April will, alone, exterminatf
every rnm-shop in this town and eoun'
ty If enforced with any kind Of vigar,
1t viii take no more. in fact less, effort
to enforce this law than : would to
enforce n prohibitory enactment, while
the latter, however stringent, would