The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1882-10-12

|
SOME of our friends seem incensed
because We have seen fit to support
st. John for Governor, the Republican
platform with its Prohibition plank
| and some measures which may make
a success Of Prohibition. We desire to
make one or two explanations, and
ask our dissenting friends to consider
them carefully. 1t Is well known
probably throughout the county that
before the passage Of the Prohibition
amendment we were i'm favor Of the IL
cense system ~ the best way of regu-
lating the sale Of intoxicating liquors.
With the provisions of the license
laws enforced as they should have
been, and as they were i'm some in
stances. we were Of the opinion that
no better means could be devised to
control the traffic. When the Prohib-
ition measure was proposed We
doubted its expediency. But We con-
sidered after vote had been taken
upon ii that the judgment of major
ity might lie better than our own, and
We were i'm favor Of giving the ques-
ton a fair test. We were therefore in
favor Of putting upon the statute book
some kind of a law which should
bring about fair test of the question,
and after the passage Of the law We
were i'm favor of its rigid enforcement.
We remember well how a number Of
temperance men doubted our SINGER
fly In this matter and scOffed at the
idea that we were i'm favor d the afOre-
said enforcement. Not yielding as
yet in our belief that the Prohibition
system is better for the State ut large
than the license system, we are still In
favor Of making a thorough test Of the
Prohibition question. which cannot he
done by measures looking Ia the repeal
of the law, neither by re-submitting the
Prohibition amendment before II has
chad halfa chahce, "nor by persistent
indifference to powerful and organ
lied opposition throughout the State
TO enforcement. We cannot array
Ourself on the side of those who desire
to render the enforcing law a nullity;
hence we have done rs we have. If
after few years trial Prohibition
proves to he impracaticable, we shall be
in favor of q change back to our favor.
lite license system. II on the other
hand it proves to be success, the
sooner we acknowledge it the better;
for we shall not be SO pulled up with
csnceit as to hold our judgment infal- |
lible rs compared with that Of the
majority of good and true men who
may back theirs up with the SUCCESS
full testing experience. We cannot
see how y thorough test Of the measure
can be made except by enforcing the
law made for the purpose. Now with
reference to our support of Gov. 81.
John. We gave him our voluntary
support because we believed him to he |
the best fitted Of all the candidates
seeking the place. We also supported
him because he was good Republic |
can. That he was temperance man |
and had the support of the Prohibi-
tionists lid not have weight with us, for |
the reason that we did not claim To be |
what is known in every day parlanse,
"a temperance man"-either theoreti-
cally or practically.
Now we hope that our complaining
friends will concede us the same right /
that we conceie them: the right to act
aud vote As We please i'm such matters.
We value the good opinion of friend
rs highly as any man on earth and i'm
fact feel very uncomfortable IL we
have il not, But we cannot agree
with our friends i'm all things, nor do
We expect that they will always guage
their opinions of men and measures
by ours Our judgment Is not infalli-
bic, neither is theirs. But there is one
plane upon which we can all
meet, and that is the high and lofty
,ne which demands that we "obey the
and the laws" We may
not always do 1t, but the duty is the
,ame-nevertheless. Making this the
guide of our political action, We shall
De Mt least right.
j. III FRANKLIN. of Junction City,