Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-01-11
ANTI-SUgNISSION.

1t is beyond a doubt that a bill will
be introduced into the present Gen.
eral Assembly of this State to submit
at the next general election an amend
ment to the constitution to prohibit
the sale and manufacture of intoxicat-
ing liquors in this State. Already
the leaders and champions of the pro-
hibltion cause are on the ground with
their loud-mouthed preachers whose
fanaticism and misguided zeal for
godliness runs far ahead of their
qualifications for Judging correctly
and legislating after the manner of
profound statesmen. They are there
with their trumpets and tinkling brass,
their endless petitions asking that the
legislature give them a chance to go
before the people for its adoption,
with their u~nwarranted statements of
the effects of prohibition laws in 9TH
er States, their false logic, false poll
tics and false economy. When it is
brought before the Legislature some
members will vote for the submission
of the proposed amendment because
they are heartily in accord with the
prohibition doctrine, want a chance to
adopt prohibition, will work for it and
vote for it at the polls. Then there
is another class of Legislators who
will vote for submission because a
considerable number of people have
petitioned them to submit it, and will
go home and vote and work against
its adoption by the people. This
class is in favor of putting the State to
N expense of an election whicrrlTS
admit is needless and foolish, are in
favor of a campaign whose only re-
suit will be useless expense, turmoil
and strife, which a bring about no
GOO and maybe do a great deal of
mischief. They are in favor of start
ing a fire that they may have the fun
of putting it out and repairing the
ravages of the conflagration. Anoth-
er, and the remaining class, will OPP
pose submission because they do not
believe the people want prohibition,
because prohibition of the sale and
manufacture of intoxicating liquors
by law is wrong in principle; that
such a law is a sumptuary law and oil
sumptuary laws are unwise and hurt
full in their effects THAT prohibition by
law makes criminal what is not wrong
within itself and undertakes to regu-
late by law what should be left to
the individual tastes and conscience
of men, and because it puts a law
upon our statute book that circum-
scribes the individual and natural
rights of men. This last class will
vote against submission because pro-
hibition by law is contrary to the
genius of our laws and institutions,
is incompatible with the idea that We
are a free people and capable of re.
naming free and maintaining fo1
ourselves self government, and be
cause it is in conformity with tn
monarchies of earth that are FOUNDED
upon the false dogma that the peopf
are not free and equal and not caps
BILE of governing themselves. me
will oppose it because the people u
not want it submitted, would not aaop
t if submitted and de not want y
put the State to useless expense 10
volve the people in a heated canvas
winch would heget only mlschiei
and lastly, they will vote against
because submission would be ON
step--the frst-toward prohiblnou
This second class offer as an excus
for their course that all should DC l