The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1883-11-01
As A Matter of Fair Play.
he Editor of the Commercial Gazette:

ing all the We1gnC OF MS CnrlSCldu
influence against the Republican
party, succeeded in defeating both, as
sensible men all over the State pre-.
dicted he would, and now becomes
extravagant (not to say fanaticaD in
denunciation of his own work. True
he does not father the bantling, but
the marks of paternity it bears pro-
claims it his nevertheless, and in this
paternity he stands as the representa-
tive of the Republican party and its
policy in the late campaign.
Let us look critically at some of the
remarkable statements contained in
his paper, Of to-day:
He charges the defeat of the Re-
publican party to 81 the insanity of a
fantical crusade in the name of Chris
tianity, with the halo Of the prayer
meeting and the authority of religion,
against the Scott Law, and i'll favor of
a sentimental craze for free trade in
liquors under the name of constitu-
tional prohibition" Divested of such
adjectives as only show the writer 8
vindictiveness, and to which we might
in single word reply by saying
"You are another this charge means
that the friends of prohibition, in the
name of Christianity, have entered at
the ballot-box their most solemn pro-
test against the Scott Law, and the
defeat of the party is attributable to
the fact that the people to whom they
looked for support were not in favor
of its policy upon the question of the
liquor traffic.
In this charge there is a deal Of
truth, and a hidden meaning deeper
than McDougall and the average
politician have conceived, and an in
fuence more potent than they are
willing to admit.
It is true that the Scott Law, while
popular with many people for the
sake of the money it puts into the
treasury. has not been, is not now, and
never will be accepted by the Chris
tian people of Ohio. The Scott Law
is the child Of politicians and the pet
of demagogues, and from its very in
ception has been regarded with suspi-
cion by the people. Between it and
Christianity there are such antag
onisms as render all hope of compro-
mise or reconciliation an impossibility.
To the average mind the Scott Law
in substance and effect is license. 1t
legalizes a traffic hitherto unlawful,
and permits its continuance. for a
specific consideration, with the sane
ton of the law.
The reply often made in this state
ment is that the traffic was already in
existence with legal sanction, and the
Scott Law simply laid upon it the bur-
den of taxation in the form of
penalty. That might have been more
truthfully said Of the Pond Law,
which did not legalize any traffic
hitherto unlawful. 1t is not suffi-
cient answer to say that the law for
bidding the sale of liquor to be drank
where sold was dead letter.
That it was not enforced is true,
but ninety out Of every hundred fines
assessed were for violations Of that
law, and if the Legislature had given
US statute forbidding the sale of
native wine and ale and beer, the sa-
looms would have been closed in three
fourths of the State in less than
twelve months, and the authority to
do this was just as clear, and clearer,
too, than the authority to pass the
Scott Law. While it may not make
any difference to the Christian con-
science Of Mr.. McDougall whether a
crime has his approval or disapproval,
there are other Christian people who
have a conscience" that does not
approve the saloon business, and who
will continue to demand that it shall
continue against their protest, if it
must exist at all.
Mr.. McDougall says the Scott Law
places upon the statue books the prin-
ciple under which, with an educated
public sentiment, more evil can be
suppressed and more good accom-
plished than the'labors Of the so-called
Prohibitionists ever can do.
What the principle is he leaves us
to guess, and | am charitable enough
to think he means the principle of
prohibition, which is believed to exist
in the so-called McConnelsville ordi-
nance part of that law. If there is
any other principle in the Scott Law
capable of suppressing evil, it is so
adroitly covered up that it is not ap-
parent to mind less astute than Nc
Dougall's.
There is no suppression Of evil in
closing up here and there a low dog
gerry, and transferring the evil-pro-
ducing business to another left stand
ing in the same municipality, and
often at the next door. Besides, it
lacks evidence to establish the fact
that, with any assurance Of the per-
manency of the Scott Law, saloons
will not multiply instead of decrease
under its operation.
If the honorable gentleman means
that the power over evil in the Scott
Law resides in the principle Of prohi-
bition it is supposed to contain, then,
as the boys say, he gives himself
away" for two reasons.
First-If prohibition has power to
suppress evil, then the more of the
principles the greater the power, and
as logical sequence to have adopted
the second amendment thus putting
the principle possessing this power
over evil into the organic law of the
State, and backing it up by General
Assem- bly, in sympathy, would have
been the very acme of wisdom, instead
of the fanatical foolishness he pro-
nounces it. In the second place there
is no such principle in the Scott Law
A careful study of the phraseology
of that statue reveals the fact that
the suppression of saloon under the
McConnelsville ordinance is not
among possibilities of that law.
Observe, in the first place, that Sec.
n0t1 e IL po,;,od Gtotp4oe Porh;l