Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-09-03
The Daily Press and Dakotaian
Dons PRoHIB1r1oN pRoH1B1rp

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DOES PROHIBITION PRoH1BITs
This question 10 both practical and theo-
rit.cal, and has been much mooted among
those Who ssaeively labo: IN the Temperance
cause, aud those, q well, who study il as q
social and political question. Answers. yea
and nay, are - steadily given now % TWEEN.
ty-ive years ago when the extreme legal
system of suppression Was first proposed.
Prohibition had its origin In Maine then,
and. after having he'd q more or less faithful
trial in many states, 10 nov left almost alone
to that stata.s Great comnonwealths like
MaaachusstsA Michissn and Others, the
most intelligent and moral in the union,
have long persisted. have confessed or had
alleged to them continued failure. and have
adopted other measures. These are BY no |
means the only trials sumptuary legislation
has had 10 the world, but they are the tests
given 1t under the most favorable condi.
lions of fixed aud stable institutions, homo.
geneoos population, high intelligence, law
abiding habits and other like aids.
1t Is not difficult to enforce . law against
offenses which are accepted o. crimes per *.
Not one ont Of . Thousand in Dakota has
any hesitation abou: Furnishing murder,
robbery, arson. larceny, rape, or any Of the.
more common ~felonies. There lie more
difficulty In enforcing punishment Of some
other and more statutary crimes, that
against profane swearing for instance.
On the border where the value Of
the horse 10 the settler, is the highest,
horsestealing gives rise to vigilance
committees quicker than any other offence.
But the larceny which consists of taking
timber from government land meets no such
general hostility, in fact hiss never been
punished to our knowledge. There are
many other illustrations. The settled ac-
ceptation Of . large majority of citizens
seems necessary before the declaration of the
law that an act is = crime becomes effectual,
and this is the dividing line between those
acts which are known as evil in themselves
and those which, not being so, are declared
crimes by law.
1t is urged by most Of those, who being
strong Temperance men yet oppose prohibi.
ton, that it diminishes the force of personal
character aud all moral and social forces and
dismisses from service those who are active
for the social welfare Of men by saying, "all
this is o left to the constable and magis-
trate." The question, becomes no longer
one Of . moral and social standard when an
efficient public opinion holds most men in
awe, but . question Of guilt Of what nearly
half the people do not consider . crime il
proved. The large minority defend every
evasion Of the law and under its enforce.
ment variable, f~arcical or ungatory. Mean.
while, themoral and social forces being dis
banded, the whole tone.of the community ii
changed or weakened, and character, repu
tation and selfrespect are little accounted
for they have no merit for themselves, as tn,
goodsresults are ascribed to the law. 1t i
plain that such q method would not pro
duce the strong, upright and stable citizen
Of which 30 many can be claimed under tn
other system.
Investigations now being made show tbs
prohibition has failed in Maine, even
though kept in force by the s~trictest law
men could draw for nearly one generation
Surely the tendency should change after 8,
long If the system be we'll founded. Blu
the conflict with Satan remains, and he viii
not be exercised BY law.
Its In the cities and towns that in,em
pennce 10 . marked evil, and not amonl
the rural population, yet it is 10 the forme
where prohibition fails. 1t IL also q failur,
toward the rich who can supply themselve
By wholeoele. while It does not prevent til,
poorer classes from obtaining surreptitious
" the vilest liquors. Such is the recort
proof in the city Of Bangor. Maine, wher,
under the most severe laws ever enacted
and with all the courts. officers and othe
powers Of the state actively employed AMI
earnestly in favor Of the law, drunkenness
is on the increase. Though both bushes
and population have decreased, lthe follow
ing are the official records OF arrests 70
drunkenness for q series of years. In 1855
the year the law went in force, the numbe
Of arrests was 2es; in 1856, Of arrests 70
drunkenness. 2s5; in 1860. Of arrests 70
drunkenness, 313; in 1865, Of arrests 70
drunkenness. 40S; in 1870, of arrests 70
drunkenness, sse; in 1872. Of arrests 70
drunkenness. Az in 1874, of arrests ia
drunkenness, G4s; in 1875, Of arrests ia
drunkenness. 7O4; 10 1875, of arrests IA
drunkenness, 40.
Moral suaslon is laid aside The AREA,
were fewer when there we're 10 place
where liquors were openly sold. Now the,
is neither regulation nor revenue, but > va
expense under q law burdened with ZEN
ttcs; but on the other hand, there IL a .,
ciety h~oneycombed with hypocrisy both |
politics nd social lie. For the time nea.
" all have acquiesced In the Law Whit