The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-08-24
IN. Y. Independent.]
Partial Prohibition.

While the highest form of temper
ance legislation which we can seek is
that Of total prohibition, either by the
aid or without it Of a constitutional
provision, yet we must not fall into
the error of too many reformers, just
now, of refusing all other methods of
depressing. the liquor traffic. There
are times and places in which prohi-
bition cannot be secured. The popu-
lar conscience is not educated up to
it. Then take what you can get.
Take all the popular conscience will
grant, and, meanwhile, thus educate.
IL you can't get constitutional prohi-
bition, then take legislative. If you
can't get legislative prohibition, then
take optional prohibition in cities and
towns. Take laws forbidding sales
near schools; forbidding screens behind
saloon doors; restricting the number
and character Of those who can sign
petitions for license; and imposing
heavy taxes upon those who sell.
That Is, If total prohibition cannot be
secured, make prohibition as near to-
tai as is feasible in the community,
and then see that these less theoret-
ically perfect but best practicable, laws
are carried out.
There is, of course, a great tendency
among reformers to neglect to put IN
operation the less ideally complete
thing they have, in their effort for the
thing they would prefer. Especially
do we regret the tendency now evident
among our temperance, speakers
women, quite as much as men-to
revile all taxation of liquors and all
so-called licensing Of liquor dealers, as
an ofense before God, and all the
revenues thus obtained as Of the kind
of which Jeremiah said "they shall be
ashamed.r But the taxation Of IL
quofs is the very last (which the Gov
ernment should remove. We wish
they could be taxed out of the mark
ct. The United States cannot forbid
the manufacture and sale Of liquors.
That belongs TO the states: But it
can, forAreEenue, tax thena just as
much as it pleases, and it pleases to
tax them very heavily, SO heavily as to
raise therefrom sixty millions dollars
a year. This heavy taxation, of the
popular vice is Judgment that it is a
vicesNIt issa partial prohibition. 1t
makes liquorsE Just SO much moreaex
pensive and difficult to obtain. 1t
prevents a certain amount OF its use,
and it makes the liquor manufacturers
pay for part Of the damage they do.
Whatever doetrinaires may say as to
the shame they feel because the Gov
wicked, "" these revenues without
right" (for they are greatly given to
misapplying Scripture), common sense
will be sure to support them.
So with state laws called license
laws. They are not properly license
laws, but partial prohibition laws.
They do not encourage and specially
provide that certain men shall, for the
public good, sell liquor. They recog-
nize, rather, that in the present state
Of things it is impossible to prohibit
the liquor traffic utterly, and, in view
Of this popular hardness of heart, they
go as far as they can to limit the sale.
They forbid promiscuous selling.
They allow none to sell who do not
pay a tax to the state, to help support
the prisons and poorhouses which
their traffic fills. So far as they go,
they are, if properly, enforced by tenn
perance people, a great blessing and
are step to something better. A
strict "license" law should be accepted
as one step forward in temperance
education and made vantage ground
for something better. But the tenn
perance reformer who abuses such a
law, on the ground that it is COM
promise with sin, that licenses sin,
does not understand the meaning of
tho word