Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-03-05

But, ~ already intimated, the
question for the legislators to de-
eide was The question Of submit
ting the matter TO the people Had
they not a right To settle it for
themselves? Are not the people
sovereign? Have they not The
right to say what shall go into the
Constitution and what shall not :?
Legislatures do not go wrong
when they allow the people to
eettls such questions. 1t is when
they aseume 10 determine for the
people what the people can prop
erly determ. ne for themselves that
trouble arises. No one could claim
that every frivolous or triffiing
question should be made matter
OF issue at the ballot box, or III at
local matter, or one with limited
advocacy, should be brought be-
fore the people; and 1t was to pre-
vent such an event, doubtless, that
the two-ihirds rule, or the provi-
sionrequlring two-thirds vote lof
the General Assembly in order to
submit a question to the people,
was enacted; but when more than
10000 people. representing every
portion of the State, representing
the intelligence and pie,y of the
State, representing the best socie-
ty and Influence, respectfully pc
tition their representatives TO per-
nit the people to determine
question that effects every interest,
social and Industrial, and runs
through all the avenues of per-
sonal and domestic happiness, /
submit that in the presence of
such call and before such q ques-
ton, 1t IL the duty of legislators to
put aside their individual notions
as to temperance methods or tenn
perance plans, and let the people
speak for themselves. To talk of
expense at such time, or to dig
cuss the question of revenue, or
divorce, Is not only to bog the real
question, but entirely to over
look it.
One or two facts in conclusion:
LIST, What Divine law has made
wrong, no human law can make
right; therefore the whole license
tsysem which allows the manufac-
ture and sale Of intoxicants is
wrong and should be abolished.
I'd. That which makes it unsafe
for women and children to 90 upon
the high ways; which fills our fails
and psnitsntiaries with criminals;
which Is the occasion of enormous
expense to citizens; which saps the
foundation of social and domestic
comfort, ia rightly a matter for
legislation. Drunkenness does
this; therefore drunkenness should
be prohibited by law.
3D., 1t Is better to cut q snakes
head off than its tail. Therefore
the liquor traffic should be attack
cd at the distillery. The manu-
facture should be stopped. We
must go to the source and foun-
tain of the evil. Therefore, we
need a prohibitory amendment
placed in the Constitution.
4th. The best way to cure tn,
evil Of intemperance is to take
away the temptation to drink. An
Ex-Governor of Illinois once said,
so long as there 10 liquor | must
have it; would that L could not
get it, He remarked that if ever
the question of prohibition were
before the people, and he could but
crawl to the polls, he would go and
vote for it. l remember tenn
peraL ca lecturer who declared that,
though he had not touched liquor
for ten years, such was the power
of old habits upon him, he could
not pass a saloon without feeling
an almost iri esistible impulse to
60 in and drink That which go
easily grows into controlling
passion, which lures old and
young alike to destruction; which
becomes as fire in the bones, should
be put an end to as speedily az
possible, and in any way possible.
9Th. Wherever prohibition has
been tried it has succeeded. The
enemies of tenn ecance cry Olt
against Maine, but whoever de-
sires can easily obtain abundant
evidence to show that the Maine
liquor law has been great sue
cess. Kansas has grown wise by
her example. Let West Virginia
follow, and make her mountains
as pure in this respect as they are
in the air which encircles them.
Those who opposed and defeated
the amendment proposition, may
imagine that they are not oppos-
ing temperance, but they have
only given aid and comfort 10 the
enemy, aud their health will be
drunk in many saloon all over
the State. W. G. q.
I'll