Daily Republican., 1882-09-08

1.-THE people of Wisconsin wer'
amongst the first to ask the Legislature
for a prohibitory amendment. In lSl'
Is 900 petitioned for it, in 1879, 4O,OUO
in 1880, 100, 900 in 1881, a still large
plumber. In the latter year, the vote il
the House was 81 yeas, SO nays no
quite the necessary two thirds OF tn
whole House. In Pennsylvania, Il
1881, it passed the House by 1O9 to 09
but failed in the Senate. In Michlga'
in 1881, it received 63 in favor, .
against aud in the Senate 2l for TO II
against, lacking / vote in the hous'
and 3 in the Senate to make the Feq"lr
ed number. an 4,
In Nebraska, in 1881, it stood AZ tt
%, lacking 2 votes. In ONO, IN 1901
it passed the House, II to 10, but wal
lost in the Senate, 20 10 II, 3 votes tot
few, In Illinois, In 1881, 1t received OF
votes to 81 in the House, and 10 to "a IL
| the Senate. In the Missouri House II
was defeated by IS to 81. In Wes'
Virginia, in 1881, 1t failed, 40 to 70, IL
the House, lacking 4 votes. In mlcnl.
gan, 90, 900 people petitioned Tor IL, Du'
It failed to receivea two thircs vote
In Texas it passed the Senate, % to Z,
but failed in the House, 6l to "a, q
small lack. In Arkansas, In 1881, the
House voted for it 66 to II; the Senate,
however, refused TO cobcur.
This record shows that the people are
steadily organizing aud moving in op-
position to license laws. The question
arises, "why this Tteady rising tide OF
opposition 2" Here is question which
more concerns those who are engaged
in the traffic than any other class OF
people. They themselves are to blame
for it. No class of people should bemore
earnest in the enforcement of the license
laws than they. had they organized
themselves into an organization to see
that all licensed dealers complied strict
ly with the laws, and none sold liquor
except in accord with the law, there
would not have been this rising up
against the traffic all over the country.
Instead of laws enforced and lived u2
to by those granted special privileges,
the laws are daily violated as Is attested
by the record. Even many of those
who are specially licensed by the differ
ent States, are tho greatest Jaw break
ers. Though the protection ofthe youths
of the land is specially provided for and
ia M ade a crime to sell liquor TO minors
the cities are overrun with intoxicated
an ruined boys. The sale Of liquor to
them is an open violation of the law.
Though special barriers have by law
been thrown around the sanctity of the
those barriers are openly
down by those who are speci-
ally obligated not to sell liquor on Sun
days. These and mauy other shameless
of liquor license laws have
brought the whole traffic into disrepute
and hence the uprising of the people
against every thing short of total pro-
hi bition of the liquor traffic. Those
who openly and secretly violate the H.
cen Sc laws of the States have themselves
to blame for it.
Mr.. Gersh Martin. eteran distiller
in Peoria, Illinois, cOmprehends the!
situation fully when recently he fore
warned his brethren in the liquor trade
through the columns of the Saturday
Call, that they were too weak
TO band themselves against the rising
tide of temperance, and by doing so
jney would only invite their own de-
struction. He says:
"The moral and religious sentiment
Is against it, (the liquor trattic.) The
women are against it. This moral SEN
timent stands like stone wall to con-
front it,"
He also says:
"Thirty years ago nine farmers in
Ten would have voted against PrOhibi-
lion; bat now nine in ten would vote
for it."