The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-02-15
PROHIBITION.
why we ask for II.

Editors Intoscucer.
am amodeat man and object to the cur.
rent mode OF lobbying" yet l should
like to be Of service to those lawmakers
who are yet in doubt as to the proper
course for them to pursue with reference
TO the prohibitory amendment now pend.
ing in the Legislature. May make mask
Of your paper and do my "hutton.hoing'
with penn wish to state distinctly
the Chiet ground upon which We advocate
the prohibition OF the liquor tralliC-what
1t Ia we hope to see effected by even par.
tial enforcement Of such law When
this Ia clearly understood many OF the OBJ.
jeCtions are met without further argument
Some persons are satisfied with short
logical formula, 9. g., the traffic is either
right or wrong II right II ought to be rs
FREQ as the traffic in iron. II wrong II ought
to be prohibited. But there are many
others who hesitate TO accept either pro.
position. They are friends Of temperance
but cannot see that the traffic considered
simply as a trafFiC--the mere making aud
selling-is wrong. The only wrong they
can acknowledge Ia tho drinking to excess
hence their hesitanCy TO favor outright
prohibition. To this class | wish , say
we can conCede their position, but ask
prohibition OH the simple ground that the
traffic In Observation-Disclosures can be:proved
10 be great hlndranCe 10 the State Tor
government In the performance Of Ger.
tain functions 30. important as TO
completely justify It's being made
unlawful. The State has always claimed
and exercised this right in regard 10 many
acts that would otherwise be innocent.
have right to carry about my person
revolver; the act Ia innocent; my con.
science Is clear. But the State declares
such an act unlawful, because the general
practice Of the same among men tends to
create disorder and Catise the unjuslihable
taking oil human life. The storing OF pow.
der In city, the operating Of lead.wStks
where others may be injured and many
similar innocent acts are forbidden, aud
illustrate the principle Of making that
which Is right unlawful,
One Of the most important functions OF
the State is the prevention Of crime, pat.
perism, INSANITY, idiocy, and the protection
OF life and health. II the punishment of
crime is for the protection Of the citizens,
much more is the prevention OF IL, The
obligation 10 prevent II possible, Is even
greater than the obligation to punish, and
the State that negleCts this greater obliVa.
ton has much TO do before II Ia entitled 10
rank high among civilized governments.
After am knocked down and robbed,
| am grateful to my Government II II Sc.
cures the punishment OF the highway.
man; but would have loved my Govern.
ment more II 1t could have prevented my
pain and loss, and | could scarcely re.
strain my hatred Of II, II assured that II
could but would not prevent. II may
seem useless 10 dwell upon so plain 4
point, but II there Ia hqnalily Of states.
manship greatly needed In our day, Il is |
this which will lead our lawmakers 10 ask, |
az the most important Of all questions,
what can we do to PREVENT
One hundreth part Of the millions OF
dollars spent by our country in Indian