Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-11-09
A Constitutional Amendment.


lature of Ohio ut its next session wi
submit some sort of a proposition fo
the amendment of the Constitution i
, regard to the sale or prohibition of th
sale, of intoxicating liquors, but, in til
great diversity of public opinion on tn
subject. it would seem to be difficult t
so frame an amendment that, it vii
meet the views ofall. or nearly all tn
temperance people of the.State., As W
have heretofore shown. the whole mat
ter will be in the hands of the Legisla
ture. no matter what kiud of an amend
ment may be passed. This being tn
case, we think an amendment may b.
so framed as to meet the views of al
reasonable temperance men. while con-
straining the Legislature to take sucl
action as public sentiment may from
time to time demand, and be able anC
willing to sustain.
For example, submit the following as
Substitute for the present anti-license
clause of the Constitution: %
No license to traffic in intoxicating
liquors shall hereafter lie granted in
this State; but the General Assembly
snail, by law, provide against evils re-
sulting therefrom, by tax on the traffic
which may be made lien upon the
property occupied by the business,
by local option, OF by a prohibition of
the manufacture and sale. or-
Such an amendment would redeem
the pledge made by the Republicans in
1881, to require that the General As
sembly should submit to vote of the
people such amendments to the Csnsti-
tuition of the State relative to the manu-
facture, sale and use of Intoxicating liq-
uors as shall leave the whole matter to
legislation" 1t would provide such a
means of regulating or prohibiting the
traffic as the Legislature might desire,
and the Legislature would do what the
people ordered them to do in that direc-
ton. 1t would do away with the pres
ent popularity of our organic law. which
renders it so difficult to enforce any Sc
we're restrictions on the traffic and it
would also place prohibition in the i'm
mediate reach of a majority OK the vo-
tiers whenever they wished to enforce it.
And above all it would compel the tenn
preance element to be continually on the
alert and active in behalf of their cause,
which is always indispensably necessary
to success.
The amendment has this advantage
over one that offers but ii single meas
ure of relief: it embraces all the propo-
sitions,a and whichever one may be chosen
it will be authorized by the Constitution
and the courts will not be invoked to set
it aside.
We have heretofore argued that the
reform can only be success
full by being progressive; that prohibit
tion, if engrafted into the organic law,
would be nothing more tnan local op-
ton, by reason of the violent opposition
to it in large cities; and that a tax
would, in time, so far limit and restrain
the traffic as to enable public sentiment
to reach the wisest and safest methods. |
This amendment would make such pro-
gress possible without the cumbersome |
of ar amendment at every |
stage, with all its agitation, uncertainty |
and expense. The Legislature would
faithfully reflect the progressive public
sentiment of the time, and could crystal
ze such sentiment into Law within
three months after its election, instead |
Of waiting as it must now for two years.
Turing which time that sentiment may
have changed or become Indifferent, or
be lost sight of in the new issues that
Ire liable to arise constantly in our po-
itical affairs.
The amendment will meet the views
If the ultra Prohibitionists in that it
prohibits license, and while they consci-
,ntiously oppose as making the State a
party to wrong, it enables them, if
hey have the numerical strength, at
my time, to ignore the tax feature, and
he local option feature, and pass at
,nce to absolute prohibition. Prohibi-
ion will be as possible to them under
ibis amendment as it will be under
straight prohibitory clause, as the latter
become part of the Constitution
majority vote, and even if it
should be carried and become part OF |
The Constitution. it would be worthless
without legislation to impart to it vital
ty and fOrce.-fO. S. Journal.