The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1880-06-17

prove = poeliA1e a the part Of the
State, only 90 poEsoA = permitted to
zen TOR excep3naAl purposes, such rs
medicl &c, and II others are prohib-
tied, 20 thas the State has only to prove
~ ceiling for any purpose. This is the
custom q IN prohibition States. With
NO eonstitufional limitations this can be
done.
How win Il Be with this proposed
amendnent sdopteds
It reads: The manufacture and sale Of
intoxicating liquors shall be forever
prohibited In the State except for sue.li-
cal, scientific and mechanical purposes.
Can its manfacture and sale be pro-
hibited for the purposes excepted?
When the question was frst raised al
said no, without exception. This COM
mon English and common sense would
require them to say. But when the con-
sequences were pointed out, instead of
abandoning the amendment - harmful,
the political advocates abandoned their
common sense and said the exceptions
could be prohibited by the Legislature.
It Is plain to be seen that if the sx-
ceptions cannot be prohibited ON ac-
count Of o constitutional provision, it
must operate equally upon all, and NO
person can be prohibited.
When the advocates Of the amend
ment changed front and abandoned
their common sense construction Of the
language used, sent the following
questions to such attorneys in the State
as knew:
1. Should this amendment be adopt
ed, could then the Legislature prohibit
the sale of liquor for the purposes nam
ed in the exception, either directly or
indictly, by license tax or otherwise?
2. Could one man only be permitted
to sell for these purposes in the Stxte or
county, and all others be prohibited?
s. Would every citizen have an equal
right to engage in the manufacture and
sale of liquors for the purposes named
in the exception?
4. Does the present dramshop act alb
solutely prohibit the sale of intoxicating
liquors for all purposes, unless especial
ly authorized BY the people Of q munic-
ipality.
OF twenty.eight answers given, twen-
ty-four answer that the exceptions can
not be prohibited aud must be permit
ted to all alike.
If these lawyers should be right what
will be our condition.! Now, every man
who chooses can open q liquor shop os-
tensibly for medical, scientific and me
chanical purposes. We attempt to pros
ecute, and what must we do? First. we
must prove the sale; aud, second, We
must prove that it was not sold for med
ical, scientific and mechanical purposes
an utter impossibility in 999 cases out OF
a thousand, rs every man must know
who has had any experience in enfOrc.
ing prohibitory laws.
That young men, who have had no
experience in attempting to enforce Ii.
quor laws. or men who have never lived
| in a prohibition State, should imagine
that prohibition could be successfully
enforced when the prosecution had Il
prove not only the sale, but that il
was not sold for medical, scientific OF
mechanical purposes, can conceive, but
old war veterans in the temperance
cause will not be deceived. 1would
like to ask Col. e. B. Lines, who ha'
had experience in Connecticut, what hi
thinks Of enforcing prohibition.
In conclusion, wish to say to the ed
itor of the Capital, and all other edit
ors who assume that this amendment
and the temperance cause are identical
and that opposition to the amendment
is opposition to intemperance, they have
nv pity for ignorance, or bigOtry. OF
both. have ten times as much reason
for charging them of favoring "whis
XIV, drunkenness, gambling and thu
whole list of crimes that are bred ant
matured" in whisky drinking, as the!
T have for SO charging me. But no suci
charge will avail to reach them as the!
belong to the ''holier than thou" set
and argument is wasted upon them
Their temperance is political, mine
not. 1t will soon be claimed that ten
perance. the constitutional amendmen
are Synonymous terms, and possibly ]
will be extended so as to include the ell
, itor Of the Capital and others of hi
ilk. But let no one be distressed owe
nv fate. was never more certain il
my life that I was right than | am il
opposing this amendment, and if tn
present will not vindicate my position
|, the near future will. Very truly.
Fl &. ROBINSON.