The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-07-13
THE PROHIBITION ISSUE IN
THE WEST.

The political complaints threatened
within the ranks of the Republican or
ganization at the West through the
question of prohibition have reached a
stage at which ii is no longer possible
for the leaders of the party of great
moral ideas to ride two horses at once.
The world has dwelt upon the peculiar
position of the party which in Maine
enlOgizes the Maine law as its great
achievement, and in North Carolina de-
nOunces the BOuTbOns for passing pro-
hibitiOn bill The result of the election
in Iowa seems to indicate that the issue
has taken upon itself a still more i'm
pOTtant character, and that the West
and the Northwest are upon the verge
not only of an agitation, but of posi-
tive revolution, social and commercial.
Thus far the prohibition movement has
been more vigorous and more successful
than the granger" rising of ten years
ago, and what with this excitement,
with the anti-mOnOpOly issue and with
the growth of ee-tTade ideas, the local
politics of the prairie region cannot
fail during the next few years to be of
commanding interest to observers at
distance.
The Iowa amendment is not of seri-
Gus character, perhaps. 1t can be elu-
ded without the exercise of special in
genuity. 1t does not apparently forbid
the giving of liquor away, for instance,
and there are no doubts as to it's cOnsti-
tutiOnality, so that it may come to no
more than the Pond act in Ohio. But
this is a matter of little consequence
compared with the fact that majority
of the voters of the State, in circum-
stances not very favorable to the tenn
perance cause, have pronounced in favor
of the prohibition of the liquor traffic.
The fight will be renewed, of course,
but now that the ProhibitiOnists have
shown themselves both powerful and in
earnest, they can command a reinforce
ment of strength from the politicians.
The effect upon the struggle of the ad-
jacent States will inevitably be to en-
courage the PTOhibitiOnists, and to raj
ly to their support all the politicians
who invariably range themselves on
the side of reform as soon as it prom
ises to be the winning side. In Kansas
there is a prohibition law backed by
severe penalties, with the working of
which our readers are familiar. 1t has
not stopped the sale and consumption
of liquor, of course, for no prohibition |
law that ever was devised can do that, |
but it has had marked effect upon the |
open traffic in liquor. In Nebraska the |
passage of an anti-treating law was Sc
cured last year, while in Michigan,
where the temperance issue was raised |
at the spring elections, a large increase
has been made in the taxation upon the |
manufacture and sale of liquors, both |
distilled and fermented. In Minnesota |
the high license rather than the prOhib- |
itOTy system seems to be favored. In
Wisconsin the struggle this year will
be very severe. The anti-tTeating law
of last year was declared imperative
by the courts, and the PrOhibitiOnists
went into open revolt, with such
success that the Republicans only car
ried the State by plurality. They
have now resolved to make independent
nominations for the Legislature wher-
ever the party candidates will not
pledge themselves to the support of
pTOhibitoTy amendment, and to carry
the fight into the Congressional elec
tiOns. In Illinois last year bill for a
prOhibitory amendment was defeated,
as was the blinds bill,'' making it nee
essaTy for majority of the adult resi-
dents, male and female, to back applica-
tiOns for licenses to sell liquor. In In
diana last year the Legislature adopt
ed joint resolution to submit pro-
hibitory amendment to the people, but
it has yet to pass another Legislature.
The HOosier State may easily become
the scene of fiery conflict this year,
inasmuch as the question has been
brought into party politics, many of the
Democrats favoring opposition in the
preliminary skirmish and the liquor
dealers, who have hitherto lent cOnsid-
erable aid to the Republicans, having
entered the field against them. 1t is
not necessary to dwell upon the posi-
tion of affairs in the New England
States, further than to note the fact
that in Connecticut the Germans have
already begun to organize against the
stringent license law which, requiring
the signatures of five taxpayers to each
license, will greatly reduce the number
of saloons in the State.
For the present the Northwest is the
scene of the most earnest agitation, and
the near future be enacted in all the
Northwestern States where there is not
a very foreign or urban population. In