Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-15

oy compuls,on: dangerous trade can
De forced by the public will 70 submit 70
s1ch limitations az are necessary TO the
pnolic good. For this the str ing arm
of the Law 10 required, and, that strong
arm being extended. il is the dusv Of III
good Christians and all loyal citizens to
ooev 1t and TO aid In enforcing obedi.
ence. Here We march side by side Wit b
Mr. Dow, and We are right glad of II,
his Is a friendly voice. and We love TO
agree With 1t where We can. The earn-
est ana sincere advoc ate. of sobrietv.
good order and happiness in society
must unite wherever they eau. We
cannot afford to treat each other AS
Toes. and thus pay into the ,nds of the
common enemy.
This great question in New York State
Is fast proaching to crisis. Ls.e
events h.y. done much 10 reyeaI the a,,-
inus and tyranny of the liquor trade.
1t Is munificq mt IN its bribes unbeunded
In Its exactio,is, and IN It's domination
As tnerciless as Fate.
| Ihe patient Demon sits
With roses and a shrOud;
! lie has his way and deals his gifts
But ours Is not allowed
I
bold and inscriptions, and never be-
fore did Its slaves 80 feel the lash. But
Its dominion must soon come to y close
| The commonweat tn IS awaking to the
danger. The cause Is not now a cause
OF temperance societies. The peOple
feel fatal drain whi ID fulters the
common heart. They demand that
something shall be done; and they de-
mand sonethln2 that shall be etfectu Il,
What shall it beI
his question is a political one, but
not In any sense of party politics. +. is
not question of religioa. though it has
a religious side on which men must face
their cOnscIences and squsre themselves
with the eternal prin ,iples of morality.
! Men of all religious denOmi ations. and
| msn who belong to none, can heartily
| JOIN IN combined effort to procure good
laws Tor the suppression of intemper-
anoe. Special varianoes do exist amongst
sincere and earnest tnen IN their meth
ods of dealing with questions of reform.
1t Is, therefore, important to look for
some common ground upon which we
| can AL meet, and freely enlist in gen
eral movement to advance sobriety
and diminish social disorder bv force
of law.
| Most Catholics, think. share the re-
luctance felt by 80 many others to To-
tai prohibition Of the sale. A restrain
upon natural liberty 80 absolute and
unsparing, although not beyond the
dftan dominim which pertains to the
State. cannot be wise until lis necessity
AZ "A last resort becomes evident. When
We are made to understand that every
other reasonable expedient has been
81 4. l.. 6
that We needs must choose between this
demon of riot and destruction which
now desolates the land and the sacrifice
of all right 10 stimulating beverages,
even In their most innocent use, then We
may fairly be called upon to adopt the
extreme expeaient of prohibition. Ex
pedients less trencaant are not yet all
exhausted.
Whatever measure may be adopted, II
may be made secure and permanent in
Its fundamental policy by constitu
tional provision. Experience shows that
any code provided by one legislature is
soon res}inded or fatally nutilated by
| another. In New York State this is GER
tain. The great body of the people are
engaged III their own private affairs
and caunot be aroused TO action every
year on questions affecting the general
welfare.
| lis the day of the cha tel,
Web tn weave and corn u grind:
Things are in the saddle,
And ride mankind"
| The liqaor dealers, however. when
| grinding their own corn, are always face
to face with this question. Their pri-
vate interest Is always at stake. What
| ri N lSh has
their gains and commands their CON
staut attention. They are banded to
| gether i'll league which sits continu-
ally, deliberates secretly, acts quickly.
ostracizss merc,lessly. Those in the
| trade (and such there are) who would
| willingly reconcile II with their CON
! sciences. who would gladly see it re-
strioted to fewer and more respectable
hands. are made to play their part In
| the ring under the vigilance of eyes
whose Jealousy they dare not awaken.
| 1t holds its whip over legislators, magis-
trates. COMMISSIONERS of excise and po-
| licemen. We saw IN the late New York
| election how long II remem bered and
| pursued with Its vengeance a candidate
| for Secretary of State who. when III the
| Legislature. ha failed to vote in its in
terest. 1t marks tradesmen with a ban
| aud furbids to trade with them. 1t has
| common purse, which can he drawn
upon at short notice aud used secretly
| where money is stronger than argu-
meut.
Such being the ,se, il is ,sy b. ua
ders,and how readily this trade can un-
| do in a single session what the people,
| rising in their might. had decrecd and
meant to establish forever. Their work
| of undoine is effected 50 silently and SO
quickly that the attention Of the public
| /, gained only IN time 20 look upon the
| ruins of law. Iu this WAY the New
| York excise law of 1851. a most a lmi ra
ble code ~ first framed. has be-n re-
duced To u thing Of shreds aud pat ches
to pleass the liquor deiiers. who now
point To It in derision to show the folly
of III ,king l,ws To restrain them. is 1t
wonderful that 50 m my ctll for con-
stitutional provision? OF cou :, the
same DO Ser which makes the provi sion
can recall II. But that power Is the de-
liberate power Of the p,ople. 1t re-
quires slower process. 1t cannot ,e
concerted secretly, nor carried into exc
culion sud ienly. nor effected BY tue
sttae work Of corruption Ii caauot be
s.s and spruDg like a trap upon IN un-
needing public.
| If. however, the community sh ouid
csn ciuis To project itself against drunk
enness by \ constitutional provision. 1t
| by no means follows that a provision
absolutely prohibitory is the only one to
be thought Of. The constitution might
declare the sale of liquors unlawful ex-
cept under license. aud fix the minin. um
of license very hiah-say five hundred
dollars. This grand and effective point
being secured, all other needful provi-
sions. to regulate the IN tnufacture, etc.
| could be left to Legislative action. The
le sis aiure might equ ,lizs the effect of
such constitutional provision by grad
uating the number Of licenses allowed
Ia cash district to the number Of the
| population. OF course, all this would
leave only "A fev in the trade. Bot what
| of that? The fewer the better. SO long
rs the trade continues to furnish all that
| is really needed. Sober citizens would
not feel driven to violate the law. The
| retailers crowded out would be the vilest
| of the class. The manufacturers and
| wholes ale dealers most cramPed would
be the most unscrupulous, such rs sell
10. N,P