, 1881-12-18
LIQUOR PROHIBITION.
The Proposed Constitutional Amend.
nieht OF Iowa. and United Stats
La1vx-

e | SA A"NsAs sAA0 1uA&EN 9kaF.
Laws.
| 10 the Editor of The Chicago Tribute
WATERLOO, III, Dec A.-1t is-uo doubt, gen.
| crafty known that nn effort is being made by the
teetptnl people OF Iowa. secure I'M ameEGtpen1
; TO their Constitution prohibiting tho manufact-
nre amt sale OF all Intoxicating liquors. Wheth-
or tho prohibition Is to bo unrestricted,
or limited to tho beverage use Of
| liquors. Is not clear. The promised
amendment is couched in tho following lam
EuuGe: mo person shall manufacture for
sale, or sell or keep for sale rs u beverage any
| Intoxicating liquors whatever, including ale,
wine, and beer. The general Assembly shall by
law prescribe regulations far the enforcemene
OF tho prohibition herein con1ulncd, and
Shall thereby provide suitnhle penalties
for the violation or the provisions hereof -
That tho phraseology OF this amendment is quite
unfortunate is generally conceded For Vt is
certainty susceptible. Of two interpretations
| Some interpret 1t us tneaning that no intoxicat-
!1,E liquors can be manufactured III the State
| others hold that they may bo manufactured in
Is TO be regretted that ths terus OF the atnend-
! inent nte not so clear rs to render it i1npos-
sibte for the most obtuse minds to siyo
| amendment means total prohibition Ut
the maaufactura of liquors, then GER
ay nds IT. is not - such ' a at as tho tee
/ he Il few who would be suited with such un
amendment; but the Ereat body Of the coercivo
q the many useful purposes to WHICH
alcohol fuuy bo and shtiuid be devoted.
Taey t are n not toa 50 rsh ard
only label it ''puson." and have it made and
! used ouly for such purposes US poison may DO
| use-the use thnt brings the kccncst sorrow and
the deepest .To to our race-they would have
1t hlotteu out forever.
| 1t might he suggested by those not familiar
| With our situation: Why. not change it and
| maize tho lansoase clear end certain before the
| people. would say that our Constitution re-
Nuircs one Legislature to f7Amc the uulcndmet1t
aud Ihe next Legislature TO adopt or reject it
US tr1ltIet.. NO Change CAN be made in 1t by
this uext Legslature- Ieohfess it seems like nn
open question Us to the Cu,d or harm this move.
1Ment may do the tcerotat cuuse i'll this State
We have must stringent prohloitory Inv, the
terms Of which, It enforced throughout tho
State would atate nine tenths OF aIi the sulouns
in Iowa and. send the sntooukeepers to
the rock-pilc. AS it is now, our Con-
stitution. gives tho Legislature su preme and
Supreme Court has decided thue us tie Consul
tuition is sent on this liquor subject, imposes
no limitations, tho Legislature is unrestricted
regulating, or prohibiting altogether II it will
the domestic traffic. No amendment can puss,-
bly, give greater enlargement Of powers to the
Legislature over this subject In fact, the rc-
VERSE of this will be true II the amendment shul
be adopted. Then the powers Of the Legslat-
gould not then regulate the 1ratlc in any form
{sdopt high license in Sebrassa, for in-
at&HCEts Nuu II IL OA QQL LEGl u1Sp0StU to
hibit it ulto2cshcr for beverage use there would
be no law. and free whisky would bo tho conse-
quencc.
to the policy Of amending our State Consritu-
ttons 10 pronfbft tho truitic in Intoxicating ll-
tho common people that any theory Ut ,ne,.s.:1e
mag he inserted by them i,l their State Constttu-
tions. The nass Of tho teetotal people iectur-
ers even Ut this State believe that BY coastitu-
tional amendments they can totally prohibit, it.:
they will. the sale Of all kinds OF Intoxicating
liauors in whatever condition or in whose hands
No greater mistake could possibly be made.
This question IF legal prohibition has been so
often presented on tho rostrl1m by unii.iormed
coercfre teetotal lecturers that there Is a con-
suminate amount OF downright fguorunc0
amongst the tccto,al elements as to the extent
Of the power Of Il Snlte over this suinptutfy
tsllfflc. Kansas has Il constitutional amendment
and statute totally prohibiting the nunufnc1ure
tor beverage uses. etc. And ~. assert tnut t
could step into thnt State tomorrow und open u
tirst,elass t1 saloon and sell intoxicating LIQUORS
the interference Of State authority, us hundred3
are now doing. Perhaps the most OF the coer-
Will he unused and shocked at this stnte-
tncut. | will explain. We cauuot put
sat on
sttution Ut the United States. And the United.
States Constitution gives to Congress the ex-
inter- State commerce. Under this authority Cou-
.ress bus ul:lte itws regulating imports and
.tltcIcu sulo LTGitlES WITH every ClHfllxe nation
whereby Intoxicating !iquorsof ull kinds may
'e Imported These laws specify tho quantity
which e,sch package, cusk, or bottle shalt con-
lisuIled liquors, such us branoy. whisky, ETC.,
he casks must contain not less than fourteen
,l9ns mnn; Wines i, io,,,ss tSer a,e ETC. may be
supreme Court Of the United States has
;onsress over foreign IMPORTS, aad Inc r.ghtot
State to interfere with these Imports. Andin
uch case the court iua:ntnined the doctrine
hat the power OF Congress over imports was
uprenie. nnd that the States bud no power
'hutcvcr to levy tax on imports, Or to require
1lceuse Of tho importer to sell, or to interfere
the slightest lcssec with THO safe DISPOSE =
op Ut tho imported articles in their original
6r b fhat ri fb pn IT, p 1n9 np
IL right 70 sell by the importer in Tho original
ackaec wherever ,nn to whntn he pleases- II
slicc Marsha il in the one case and That OF chief-
!stlce Ia1iey lr iu tue otner, out space viii not
low This beng the right Of m importer,
,rchastug liquors. OF a!l kinds In Canadu or at
y other foreign port and from shipping them
css to the State Of Knusas-put - t them hem
II wcll-furnished saloon. uud zny to every
'stomcr who asks for II drink Of brandy: i"
cask OF fourteen gallons OF brundy that will
IL you, and it may remain here for you and
'ur ro irs,as ss 70 ;nl Gntns aad & drink IS often
giitsScs os vine, lae, porter. beer, etc., that
II sell you, and they may remain here at your
casurc: but have no single drinks to sell OF
W you Who can notst inc? No urn!
There Is u fur broader Significance to this
1ole prohibition question than IL wont to be .
n:idered by tho masses Of the cocrcive tee
faiers. These legal movements that
e tlKfny plAcc in tho Statea ure~
It the clipping Mt the TIPS OF the
aos Of tho dcnttty .upass tree. It the prtnciote
prohibition shatl ever be made effective Ia
suppression OF the rratilc-alld trust it may
the question must be carried to the duor
Congress. and tho rnass OF our peo- +.
: converted to total abstinence first, then
prohibition. Uecause people who do not
licve IN and practice total abstinence can
rd1y be relied upon to cuforce prnhtbitorT ="
ttutes, and Il law without public sentiment
cuiurce IT. Is Ut no practica t,ti1y-worse, 1t
Injurious in Republic like thi&,
cre respect for public law Is its only security.
". Ii. CCnT1Sa.
-. II
Il Gorgeous rsarncHs.
.HILADELrHLa, Dec. A.-Dne Ut tho Royl -
bobs or tho East, Sam Pnshs of Egypt. 1hs
arest to the khediyc, is having q magnificent
Fl