Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-02-26
THE PROHlDlTORY AMENDMENT.
Hon E. Boyd Faulkner's Speech
WHEELING. Feb. q, 1881

w AEELlNOs L Gu. Il, 1901.
Eds. Independent:
The debate in the Senate on Joint
Resolution No. 8, prohibiting the
manufacture or sale of intoxicating
liquors in West Virginia, except for
medicinal, scientific and mechanical
purposes, was quite interesting and
instructive. Our Senator, Hon. f.
B. Faulkner, made the speech OF the
occasion, and as it is question in
which considerable interest was man
ifested, take the liberty of furnish
ing your readers with the following
synopsis of Senator Faulkner's re-
marke on the occasion. His speech
was an able one and lasted over an
hour:
He began by correcting what seems
a general error ,'perhaps a wilful one.
The opponents OF the prohibitory
amendment are not the enemies of
temperance. They are as fully con-
scious as any of the evils of intern
perance; but they do not believe this
method will bring about the desired
end. "YOu cannot" said Mr.. Faux
ner, "legislate men into temperate
and moral habits. It cannot be done
by coercion, but must be the result
of moral suasion." The experience
of the past convinces us of this; the
experiment has been tried and proved
a failure. In illustration Of this
point, he referred to Maine where
prohibitory laws are in force. Names
population is but little larger than
that of West Virginia, yet we have
the evidence from one of her most
prominent men, that drunkenness
is on the increase; that in a town of
Z 900 inhabitants there were forty
saloons; that more special licenses
were issued there than in West Vir-
ginia. The Federal law being much
severer in its penalties, men who
were engaged in this traffic protected
themselves in that, but disregarded
the State law.
The utter disregard of law by her
people in this respect had tendency
to corrupt and demoralize them and
make them violators in other re.
spects. The number of divorces,
which are ON the increase, speak
badly for people who attribute all
evils and vices to intemperance.
Compare the condition of Maine
with our own little State: In 1878
there was one divorce in Maine to
every 1857 inhabitants, more than
in any other New England State;
and in West Virginia-there are no
statistics to Show-the rate could
not be smaller than one in 5000 in
habitants.
He gave some statistics from
speech delivered short time ago by
a Mr.. Duffield, of Michigan, in re-
gard to that State. The effect Of
the license system there, by closing
up two thousand saloons. He refer
ed to prohibition in some of the
counties in our own State having
refused license for a year or more
it would be granted, &c. Why was
this, if people did not come to the
conclusion that it was the safer and
wiser course?
He quoted from and elaborated
the following words of Allen Thur
man, delivered in the Senate in Feb
ruary last: II therefore am willing
to stand up, not only in vindication
of my own rights, but as moral re-
former, as a man who believes as
much as any one does in the evil
that results from incompetence; but
the system of no licenses, wherever
it has been tried, has resulted in in
jury to public morals and public
health"
He referred to the numerous pc
titions which had been signed and
sent to the legislature. OF course
they should be treated with every
possible consideration. They had
been received and the amendment
prayed for had been introduced by
the Judiciary COmmitte in the very
language of the petitions. The reso-
luton was not open to amendment,
because it contained all that was
asked for, and to add to or take
from it would be to disregard the
prayer of the many signers. The
whole question was open to discus
sion, just as much so as though the
resolution was on its third reading.
1t was unlike an ordinary joint resO-
luton or bill, that would be open to
amendment; it was in the language
of the petitions, and to amend it by
excepting beer or wine, would be an
insult to the petitioners. If any
Senator thought that the adoption
of it would bring about reform and
prosperity to our people and State,
he should vote against the pending
motion; if he was of a different
opinion now was the time to dispose
of the question and get to work
upon the important lie gislation that
is pressing upon us.
lie thought there was nothing in
tho nncitinp thnf nnr I,ttu ron,,f~aI