The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-12-09
Temperance Reading.
PROHIBITION IN IOMA.

'ONCI tOL ouICu N. DutIludu mas luI-
nished the North Aneyjcan kctcv with
an interesting history of the growth OF
the Prohibition sentiment in Iowa, from
which We take the following:
"A wrong not resisted is approved"
On the 18th of June last the people of Iowa
decided, by majority of nearly thirty thou
sand, to place in the Constitution of the State
an amc ndment, which declares tuat g No per
son shall manufacture Tor sale, or sell, or keep
for sale, ~ beverage, any intoxicating liquor
whatever, including ale, wine and beer. ="
Ask ed by the Rerirw to state the reasons which
led to this action, bave to say first, that the
measure alluded to is not. properly speak
rectod against the individuals right of use
but its sole aim is to destroy the business of
manufacturing and selling intoxicating liu-
uors tor use as beverage; provision still r.
naming for the manufacture and sale for all
necessary purposes Hence tho campaign for
the adoption OF this measure took on the
features OF direct crusade against the sat
looms, the churches and the Temp rance SOC
cites enlisting earnestly in the struggle against
their hereditary foe. Great influence was eN-
erted by these organized forces and especial
ly those in which the influence of woman was
prominent. Beyond question tn - was the
most striking feature of the campa gn il was
not force OF controversy and aggression, but
subduing appeal for the protection of the
family and the house. This issue was square
ly joined between the saloons and their long
time enemies.
Personal considerations did not govern the
result. There were many instances where
habits worried and ,rtnd aaSaiISt ,i, IA @
Dmendmnnt On thc otber hand H. US,
bers of persons of grossly incorporate habits
voted for it. Thousands Of those who favored
the measure Were men of temperate, though
not absteuiOus hDhits whose nersonai c,,stC11n
1t was to use liquors for retreshmcnt, or as IL
beverage ON occasions, but who were still
brought to demand the destruction of the
drinking-salOOu business SepargtnJ % the
issue was from mere personal cOnsideretiOna
it was also wholly divorced from party politics
The election was a special one where no other
question was pending and was in the strictpst
sense, non-partisan
The most significant feature of the result is
TO be sought in the influences VIII en- brought
s many mod arate-mnded voters to the sun
port of rigid Prohibition In round Dumbcrs
one hundred and hfty-fvc thousand electors
voted for the adontinn of the an,andp,ent A
largo proportion Of them had not been known
previously as prOfrssed Prohi btionists They
mad inclined toward moderate views and great
tolerance toward Others were disposed to re-
gard Temperance reform us the work of per
6On0l effort rather than legal enact IN nj nDd
were luctaut to adopt Cytrgm" measures in
regard to any question OF social custom II is
in the influences which converted SO MANY of
this class INTO rigid ProhibitIonists that the
fun Significance of Iowa's action is to h.
found. The action taken is only t. be under
stood by tr cling the stems which led mn IN if
through many wears of potent cynerin1 ant
and sore tripl OF the charity which snfTar.th
long. ,.....
prohibition IS not new idea in Iowa. II
was brought here by the first settlers, and soon
f III hi WI III ny III Pupic sentiment
OF inc community. POSSIBLY this statement
may surprise those who are d sposed to the
vague iuea LHal Il new STATE OF the west must,
from the nature OF its circumstances, be adj
hcteu 10 the easy customs OF the frontier and
ga ga suoL. =. " afol pl hihlhg-cahip oral
~ tt ~ On Tii'i iIlslahr' "A INNING region
WIN ts wiz cXcltnments It's lack of home in
huehCeS. us great fortunes, ana attendant
poverty, furnishes no parallel to an agriCult-
urai Htate ike Iowa. even in the earliest DAYS
OF its settlement. such State attracts hardy
anu euterpr sing immigrants through the GER
tdlil ana unity rewards II oilers TO wel-direCt-
eu iaDOr. lts early settlers bring wives and
chlidren Win them, and they come to found
MONIES IS wen as fortunes, and to gain both
Dy INDUSTRIOUS, thrifty lives. FruGality and
industry were tba cardinal virtues of The
pioneer farmer who first turned the soil of the
pralrieS. Years of selt-dcnying effort made up
the price which the early settlers paid for the
homestead farms where they now dwell in COM
ance were thus introduced here at the outset,
ana soon became, in good measure native to
the SOIL The early settlers and seekers after
homes and hOmesteads were men of temperate
hab Is, and soon established Il state of society
in which the vast and idlencss of intempel-
GnCe were held in great disreDutr This senii-
mcnt soon found It's way into public affairs
The first Governor of Iowa, in his inaugural
address at the opening of the first Territorial
Assembly, urged the necessity of strong laws
;;,e"ip pt int9mperance. Attention was drawn
III ms oliccuoh peclusc there had
SiI,neiS . InOut tlo tTaulnS-pOsts an
ctrn i. ~ when was IN lfr presAne
coHulct WIN Ihc homestead farmers of the
Rr"ltieS' ufos-shopN, were opened in some of
thGsc pi''ces ~ an carry daN Inc hrst evil de-
EeIopeu was III tlc sac OF liquor To the In
uIahss, VINO soon acquired an unsuitable appe-
ute Tor strong drink. Wherever these grog
Indians