Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1883-08-23

cause of the tarnic acid therein, and
suppose you could get up a crusade
against pure tea, and get a prohibitive
law against its sale rs u beverage,
would not the enlightened sentiment
of the people step in and refuse to obey
such a law and thus render its enforce
ment impractcable, leave its provisions
yeiled in contempt, its results nugato-
ry? The passage of laws which can
not be enforced for the want of an en-
lightened public opinion behind them,
bring immortality, by suggesting that if
one law can be violated with impunity
others can. Thus bad laws bring all
laws into contempt.
But you will reply, ~AIr. G. misun-
derstands the position of the prohihi-
tionists." Let's see. When you exam
inc the grounds of your christianity
you go to thegospels rather than creeds.
The National Prohibition Alliance"
gospel and creed too, may be found in
the following passed last winter:
:. Rssolred. That 2 license to inIquity or a tax
ON yss i Of
traffic and the tax of the national government
upon Il must be antagonIzed II we would pre-
serve the republic
Resoircd, That prohibitionIs.s cannot consist
emily vote In any state for the nominees of any
party whose national and state platforms do not
unite to condemn the tax or license system.
This, with the oft-repeated remarks,
the sale of all liquor ought to be pro-
hibited," liquor ought not to be used
for any purpose" "alcoholic liquors
ought to be annihilated," ETC., ETC.
talk common in suppression circles
proves that we do know their platform.
Did the delegates from Maine to that
/" National Prohibition Alliance" in
Chicago last winter, when they helped
to pass the above resolutions, forget
that they were not consistent, for they
when at home helped to license that
same iniquity" in the shape of state
agents to sell-what9 poisoned liquors
for health(?), art and other purposes!
Now if it is an iniquity to license the
sale in Chicago, Iowa or Kansas, it
certainly is in Maine, and these dele
gates ought to have thought of it, and
not to have stultified themselves in the
way they did. But let us see whether
the "yice," the iniquity," comes in the
sale of pure or impure liquors. Let us
see whether it not a greater evil to
sell a man impure, adulterated liquors,
without labelling them as such, thereby
taking his money under the false pre-
tense that they are pure. Every drug
gist and saloon man ought to know
that pure liquors in the United States
are a scarce article, save certain domes-
tic wines and beers, and even these get
adulterated before they get great
ways from home.
Let us go back to the alliance"
This astute gathering of all the promi-
nent prohibition agitators of the coun-
try, say that to tax the manufacture
and sale of liquors is "taX on vice"
Government tax is not vice. Distilled
liquors are not vice. Manufacture Of
them is not vice. Where does the
vice come in then? The immoderate
use of them constitutes the vice. But
the use of them is not taxed, at least
not directly; hence the government
places no tax on vice."
1t is wholly fallacious to assume that
the licensing of places where liquor
may be sold is a license to iniquity."
1 deny that it is an iniquity to sell
liquors for proper purposes, especially
if they are pure. Even Maine, and Gen.
Neal Dow-the father Of the "Maine
liquor law were not SO obtuse that
they could not see this plain distinction,
and hence Made did license liquor
agent or seller in every township Of the
state, making more dramsellers than
all West Virginia has, a state with no
prohibitory law.
Take the two years preceding June
80, 1882, and you will find that the
liquor dealers of the country gave a
revenue of ss5,0O0,O0O to the govern
ment. Would the prohibitionists take
this away from the government and
give it to the sellers of impure drinks Z
If public sentiment will not yet sustain
law prohibiting the sale of adultera-
ted liquors, let's make them pay for the
privilege in good round figures. 1t is
only question of time when such a
law will be backed by public sentiment,
at least that the seller must give the
innocent or ignorant purchaser due
notice of the nature of the article he is
buying.
The principle which would forbid the
levylng of these, government taxes on
liquors, would equally prohibit taxes
on distilleries, breweries and places of
sale, an exemption that no class of citi-
zens enjoys. Just bring about such a
state of affairs, Mr.. Prohibitlonist, and
you will hear the liquor dealers of the
country shouting glad "Amen!"
Ohio, in 1854. when she adopted her
constitution, submitted to the people
the following separate clause, which
was adopted:
No license to traffic in intoxicating liquors
shall hereafter be granted In this state, but the
general assembly may by law provide against
evils resulting therefrom.
Yet to-day, Ohio, with barely a diff
ference in population of 1000 in com
parison with Illinois, license state,
has 2,8l2 more dealers than Illinois.
The no-license policy in Ohio has
brought about such wretched state Of
affairs that the people are trying to get
the constitution amended, favoring
high license. Even the old prohibition
lists favor it us a step toward temper
ok nnlx fol :