Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1882-03-11
THAT HIDDEN LETTER.
Senator BayaPd's Letter that
Cause0 the Discussion IN tho N.
T.. COnfsronee brought to l1KAA

The letter from Senator Bayard, tina
caused tn animated discussion in Cor
ference yesterday on his course on h
local option question was not writer
direct TO the Legislature, but to a lnelE
ber Of the Legislature, which amounte'
to the same thing. 1t was superin
duced by letter written by John .hanz
OF Wilmington, to Washington par
ties, asking them to work against tn
bill, and subsequent letter from th'
above member of the Legislature, ask
ing the Senator'S al vice ON the matter
The readers Of the REPUBLICAN may
draw their own inferences as to th,
cause of DR., Babcock's remarks.
WAsHIGSToN d. c., March 8, 1881
My Dear Sir: do not like to intrudt
my opinions una ,ked for upon mem.
bers of the Legislature agree .ith
you In thinking "local option" laws of
very doubtful constitutions ity, and
positive iuexpediency. AS | under
stand them they submit law t. popu-
lar vote, in 10 al districts, and this de-
feats the principle of our Government,
which is representative in its charac-
ter and p ACES the whole law making
power and discretion in the legislature
and not in the people in their mere
numerical force and primary capacity.
punishment of criminals was to be
adjudged and inflicted by "locai option
instead of through acts of Legislature
executed by Judges and juries, it
would be held wholly at variance with
our theory of government and yet to
apply such rule to 80 widespread and
daily habit AZ the use of alcoholic or
tarmented beverage Is in my Judgment
quite rs unsafe.
SO far ~ my experience goes well
regulated system OF licenses whereby
revenue is largely brought into the
public treasury, coupled with severe
penalties for illicit sale has proved the
most efficient check upon the abuse of
the liquor traffic.
In many respects the question is a
sumptuary one and laws attempting to
establish sumptuary regulations become
inquiSiloral and impossible Of execu.
ton SO that in those communities in
this county where they have been enac-
ted they have either aggravated the
evils they were intended TO prevent or
have fallen into contempt and useless
ness and been repealed. The state
ments have seen of the real condition
OF these communities in which total
prohibition has been attempted have
impressed me very strongly in coutr-
nation of these views.
Personal influence and example and
precept and recognition of the great
truth that intem Derance in the use OF
stimulants of AL kinds is a morbid
physical fact, botl in cause and effect,
is, in my judgment, the proper view to
commence with. Statistics abundantly
prove that the attempted suppression
by statistics of therse of alcoholic stim-
ulants is accompanied by all increase Of
opiates; and that open drinking being
stopped, secret drinking ensues. | do
not believe any man has greater horror
OF intemp-rance than |, and my appre-
citation of its dangers and evil effects
grows with my experience Of human
affairs; but the graver the evil, the
more essential to apply the right prin-
ciple to its cure, and for the reasons
have stated and many others, hope
the experiment Of "local option" will
not be tried by our Legislature but in.
creased checks under the license system
be continued. Yours sincerely,
T. j. BAYARD.