Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-07-25

Inc result OF the Iowa prohibition
Id" Is not, according to report. conspic-
uously different from that of every pri-
or prohibition law ever passed by any
oeher state or community. The thirsty
h'ah drinks and the non-thirsty man
urlhketh not; and, in either case, the
tastes Of the citizen or the demands of
MS stomachic condition control his drl-
W to himself and his statutory duty to
the state. There is nothing curious Or
unique about the present Iowa situa-
ZION, nor will there be anything either
curious or unique about the reports
which, IN due time, will be presented.
ne non-prohibitionist will report that
no percertible difference between the
workings Of human procedures and the
laws of life can be discovered by a
Oh the passage OF the statute; while the
prohibition report will be that the stat
ute has been an illustrious and COM
plete success, has worked q revolution
IN human nature, and justified IT'S pro-
prlety and timeliness; all Of which rel
egates, or will relegate Che situation to
precisely where it was before, and give
us the same opportunity as before to
discuss the protitableness of this sort of
Kindergarten legislation. There was
once in England a sturdy old prelate of
the established church. This prelate-
he was the bishop of Peterborough
was in the habit Of saying that he
would rather see England free than
sober;;' which amounted to declaring
that he would rather have men conquer
temptation than have their temptation
removed out OF their way by legislation,
Which would only unjustly, oppressive
ly and unequally bear upon the non
tempted. eff men cannot keep sober
by themselves" said the old man. "the
policeman can never do it for them.
Don'tlet us create artificial sins. There
are plenty of things against which my
cook and housemaid must pray to be
guarded; don't Try and make the good
souls feel wicked because they enjoy a
glass of beer" The old bishop was
right. The fact is that this incessant
effort to make compulsory abstinence
appear an ostentatious virtue, instead
OF a coWmrdlce, would fail CT its own
frlyolousness, and not merit even the
attention of the moment, were it not
that u%nthinking people substitute it
for real reformation which lies at their
door. No mere bell punch will make
men sober. But owe and above all
human procedure, over and above the
jurisdiction OF states or the purview of
statutes, lies the great law of Obliga-
ton; the accountability of every man
for his own acts and the results of
them. We need to lock up, not the re-
volVer, but the MAI who discharges it
wantonly at his neighbor; not the alco-
holic stimulant, but the wretch who so
uses it that his alcoholized and rum
maddened neighbor's family, his friends
or his community suffer thereby. But
Tthere IS little use Of %relterating all this
The prohibitionist is yet abroadi A
good~natured country has allowed him
to demonstrate the tyranny, incompe-
tency, and impotence OF his theories;
has allowed him TO run himself into
the ditch alongside of his own vagaries,
fallacies and a~bsurdities! To reasona-
bic mortals the truth is just as appar-
ent as ever it was. The man who sells
liquor to a man incompetent to use it;
the man VINO, underits influence, breaks
the law Of the land; let these be regard
ed as they are-responsible to the same
law that regards and holds to their al
legiance all other men. Whenthe state
Of Iowa, Or any other state, absorbs the
very self-eyident proposition that the
man rot the instrument, is the Offend
er, it will be on the plain road to refor-
matjcn. The series of acts known as
"civil damage acts are q principal part
of the real offset to intemperance. But,
of course, there IS no way Of making a
community perceive tiff they deter
mine not to.-Pioneer Press.
The Pioneer Union meets in the NJ.
e. church at this place, regularly every
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