Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-07-22
OLVMPI,. WASHINGTON TER.
FRIDAY ENE'G, JULY -, 1851
A Temperate View.

sentative. 1t is n political journal.
II yields a great influence in Oregon.
TO strengthen its power and make II
effective on those few days in a life
time when the citizen, armed with
the ballot, feels himself to be king,
its astute conductor assumes the
popular side on all questions like
ly to affect the political result. Pro
hibition being unpopular with the
majority Of voters, he is opposed to
it; not, it is true, in 50 many words,
for there are temperance neil who
vote the Crcgonian's ticket, and it
would not 10 to offend them. But a
much more effective means is cm-
ployed Of giving aid and comfort to
the liquor interest, and at the same
time sweetening the draft SO that
many Temperance people can swal-
low it without detecting the " stick
which gives it such pungent flavor.
Even Mr.. Truesdell, the reformer,
smacked his lips over the lemonade
of the Oregonian "a most remarkable
tribute to the skill Of the gentleman
who compounded the mixture,) and
he Immediately becomes elated over
the knowledge gained from single
sip of the enchanted bowl.
The Oregoniaa relies upon self
evident propositions for its prem
ises. claw fellows public opinion.
Public opinion is never the creature
of law" it atfirms. Nobody will
dispute this assertion unless he lives
in Russia, France or the South Sea
Islands. But when it asserts that
"public opinion permits liquor sell
ling" we beg most respectfully to
inquire, What constitutes public
opinion? Is it the assumed majority
of those who do the voting, and who
when blinded by partisan zeal, man
the ship though its bottom may be
covered with barnacles, to save it
from the breakers? If so we beg to
dissent from the definition. Even
q majority of the voters, in several
of the larger States, which have en-
acted prohibatory laws, cannot be
said to constitute all there is of pub
lie opinion. There is grand re-
serve force denied expression through
the ballot box, but it is becoming so
potent that the bands will soon be
broken and public opinion afforded
an opportunity of asserting itssway.
The vote in the legislatures of Mich
igan and Arkansas, show the strong
undercurrent steadily setting in on
this subject. This feeling is appa-
rent wherever a direct issue is made
on whisky. Such laws as have been
enacted prohibiting the sale of in
toxicating liquors, were secured
without the aid of the disfranchised
portion of the population, constitu-
ting fully one-half the adult inhabi'
tants of the States where prohibition
is the law. It is safe to assume thai
the voice of the women would bt
almost unanimous for wiping ou
the great cause of woe. Is not this
o very fair showing of "publi'
opinion" against the liquor traffic?
The ineffectiveness of 3" temper
ance" legislation. upon which tn
Orsyonian lays so much stress. i
owing more to the neglect of duty o
officers elected with arhisky as sid
issue, than indifference of the PEG
pie. With wholesome laws upo'
the statute books and unbiased mel
to execute them, "public opinion
would not serve as q scape-goat TO
making them void.
Temperance advocates will heart
ly applaud the Oregonian's sugges
ton to reduce the demand for intoxi
eating liquor, by making its use obi
GUS and disreputable. But they hav
been engaged in this work the pas
thirty years, and have succeeded S
we'll that they are now taking the ad
vanced step which public opinio
has been taught to sanction. The
have been called one -idead people
fanatics, and cold-water philanthrs
pists, by those who profess to believ
in temperance, as they interpret il
but who fight prohibition becaus
"public opinion" will not sanctio
it.
The plea of the Oregoniaa
scholarly, but disipgenuous. 1t
like an opiate. soothing, but its tel
dency to PROSTATE all nervous enel
gy. That journal is power in til
land. 1t can make" public opinion.
1t processes to be in favor of temper
ance reform; let it demonstrate il
power by a free and unrsserve
course in consonance with what mus
be its honest convictions.
VERMONT is the only State that hi
not a sigle Chinaman. North Ca
DINA and Delaware have each on
and Alabama has four. The large
number in any Southern State
4S3, and Louisiana is the Stat