Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-08-17
Prohibition Agitation by j. A. Brooks.

Prohibition Agitation by j. A. Brooks.
Elder John A. Brooks addressed a
large and respectable audience at the
court house on Tuesday night, and if
understood, proposed to have candi-
dates for the Legislature questioned as
to whether they will submit a consti-
tutional amendment for the p:ehibi-
ton of traffic in spirituous
liquor, except for mechanical, medi-
cinal and sacramento purposes, to a
popular vote. II that will be salts
factory and no further demand is made
by other agitators and alliances, that
proposition thus generally acquiesced
in, would remove a great obstacle
from some minds, and would not in
clude the manufacture Of alcohol, &c.
Mr.. Brooks said that n of the
objections in the popular mind is that
such a law would be unconstitutional.
He said that was a matter little un-
derstood, and read from high national
and state decisions to prove that the
state has power to prohibit liquor
traffic. 1t exercises now the right Of
regulation, and the principle that sus-
tains restraint will sustain prohibition.
We agree with Mr.. Brooks that bis
modified prohibition is constitutional,
and it is even possible that that mod
iication has been made with the ex-
press view of avoiding constitutional
difficulties. But if this is so, it may
be asked why is a constitutional amend
ment any longer insisted on? And
why is it necessary to submit such a
matter as now asked for to a popular
vote! Is it thought necessary to take
away consideration of expediency
from the legislature, and compel leg
i~slators to exercise their whole power,
and not stop short OF the prohibition
demanded? Why demand such pledg.
es? Above all, are they asked for to put
candidates in such a position that they
cannot thereafter obey such further
instruction as the party nominating
them may choose to formulate?
The democratic party never has
been, is not now, and it IS to be
hoped never will be opposed to tenn
perance; but it will never submit te
be dictated to by an impatient, fanat'
ical and vacillating alliance. Neither
will it permit its candidates to make
pledges not contemplated and imposed
by primaries, conventions and plat
forms and inconsistent Herewith.
Mr.. Brooks approves of the demo
cratic platform. He says it is con
formable to the highest christian broth
erhood and is based upon the larges'
individual liberty consistent with thu
public welfare. Why, then. is he no
satisfied with its utterances? Wha
more can he ask as a democrat
Does he consider that in demandin.
of democratic candidates pledges no
contained in platforms and not i'm
posed by primaries, and abandoning
them, if not satisfactorily answered
be is not acting as a democrat and j
losing party standing, and whateve
influence he may have had as a demo
crat? We advise Mr.. Brooks to re
turn to moral suasion and the demo
cratic party, and abandon all resor
to revolutionary law and regulation Q
conscience. 1t was not moral suasio
that wrecked temperance in Mexic
: and caused him to have less homo
here than elsewhere, as he complain
Of. All that followed attempt at to
tai prohibition. 1t was agitation 10
prohibition that taught ~anti-tempel
ance men in our midst their power
and they availed themselves Of il
Like consequences may be expecte
' everywhere, where the inner sent
? ment of communities is against tots
abstinence. He does not want pre-
2 hibition made a political question
and yet he comes into our midst du1
A ing a political campaign and adds t
its excitement. We do not object t
the stirring up of the zeal of goo
men, it is the activity of bad me
which lessons the influence of the fol
, mer, and increases the difficulty OF re
forming inebriates that we deprecate