Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-07-08
POLITICAL PARTIES AND THE PROHI-
BITION QUESTION IN WEST NIR-
GININIA.
To Els Elsor ofMe Rsgis.er.

BIrIoN QUESTION IN WEST NIR-
GINISLA.
T6ae Eig0r Of hs Register.
Ought the two leading political parties OF
this State to take sides on the Prohibition
question: Ought they in their resp !ctive
State conventions to assume in their plat
forms definite positions. pro or con, on the
question: Or, ought they wholly to ignore
it?
For my own part l answer that in my
judgment, the Prohibition question is one Of
sufficient political importance to demand
that parties show their hands upon it. And
/ have an opinion as to what the position Of
the Democratic Party-I dare not speak for
the RepubEcan-ought to be. am firmly
convinced that principles of honesty Of pub
lie welfare and content and of temperance
require that constitutional prohibition, as
proposed in this State, be opposed and de-
feated. For this reason believe that the
Democratic party should-leaving the Re
publican to do as it may seem best-in for
NAL and organized manner, denounce and
oppose prohibition as advocated in West
Virginia.
What is West Virginia prohibition? What
do West Virginia Prohibitionists propose? |
answer: They propose to strike out GER
tain clause in our constitution and to insert
in lieu thereof certain other provision.
The clause they propose TO strike out-546,
Art. 6-is in these words:
Laws may be passed regulating or pro-
hibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors
within the limits of this State"
Now, before copying the language which
the PrOhibitionists desire to put in place of
this, ask (and hope that every reader will
make conscientious answer): Can you,
by the utmost effort of ingenuity, devise
language which in the constitution Of a
State, would confer greater power upon
legislature, in reference to intoxicating
liquors, than the above does? Just try, and
see if your must cunning con'rivance Of Ian
2AdEt tdU give OllN lAlOAt poNNA ~ tlAC ltSNS
lature than that above does. No, it is not
in human tongue or words to express an
iota more of power than is there conferred
The conscientious inquirer, when he care.
fully considers what Prohibitionists want to
strike out of our constitution, is ready to
exclaim, in wonderment: Why do they
want such language out of the constitution?
They pretend 10 be the friends Of temper
ance; but surely there can be no amend
meut of that provision in favor of temper
ancew True, but the wonderment swells
to double proportions when it is told that
the provision which the Prohibitionists de-
mand shall be put into our constitution in
the place of the above, reads in these words:
The manufacture. sale and keeping for
sale of all intoxicating liquors, drinks, mix
lures and preparations to be used as bev-
erage, are forever prohibited in this State;
and the Legislature shall without delay pro-
vide BY appropriate legislation for the due
enforcement of this Prohibition.
The manufacture sale and keeping for
sale of the aforesaid liquors, drinks, mix
lures and preparations for other purposes
than as a beverage shall be regulated by
law, under sufficient penalties and securi-
ties
Now what is this? Is it an enlargement
of legislative power over the subject of man
ufacture and sale Of intoxicating liquors?
Does it give to the Legislature a larger pow
err Of Prohibition than the existing provis-
ion, above given, does? l ask you to con-
slider and conscientiously determine for
Yourself Or, if you doubt your own judg-
ment, ask any welLinfOrmed lawyer in
whose honesty YOU con6de, or your minis
ter; and if they do not say to you that the
proposed amendment dimishes the Legisla-
ture power of Prohibition, then | am mis-
taken. But it does more than merely Grip
pie the legislative power as to the monster
evil, intemperance; it gives positive consti-
tutiOnal sanction and support to the making
and selling of intoxicating liquors! 1t
gives immunity and protection to the max
ing of intoxicating liquors which are not
to be used as a beverage" 1t would be
impossible to prove that manufacturer
Was making whisky to be used as bever
age so he will Just 60 on making it, ad
Gbitum, under the direct protection of the
Prohibition amendment, and beyond the
over of the Legislature or the courts to re-
strict him a single barrel. When made
i. will he sold under the like protection and
immunity from restraint.
1t is strange, indeed, that any temperance
nan Of common intelligence should ever
have been deluded into the support Of such
a measured tits true, that few persons
of some prominence in the State and of &C
krowledged intelligence have embraced the
prohibition amendment folly. As to such
persons there is prima .tacia evidence of
their want of sincerity in the temperance
cause. Political preferment and notoriety
are their object and the sacred cause of tenn
perance is their abused hobby. The evil
dence is more than prima .tdcia and cir
cumstantial For, in the last Legislature
bin was introduced By prohibition men,
her (Mr. COburn, of the Senate, entitled
"A bill providing for the submitting to a
vote Of the people of the several counties Of
the State the question of issuing license to
selLintoxicating liquors" The bill went
along smoothly in the Senate until it became
evident that it lrOUid pass, when, to the as
constituent of the sincere friends Of temper
ance, the prohibitionists themselves turned
round and killed it.
Not only is the proposed amendment of
the Prohibitionists worthless, worse than
worthless and positively detrimental to the
cause oftemperance, but no possible amend
ment of the constitution of West Virginia
can better the temperance cause. You
cannot make perfection any more perfect
or omnipotence any more omnipoteut To
substitute the fluffy and pretentionS, but
euervating and dangerous amendment pro-
posed by the ProhibitioniSts would be an
act Of folly on the part Of temperance men
unparalleled in the annals of popular gov
ernment. Away with it! And let the
Democratic Convention which meets on the
23d of this month come out mantully and
honestly with a resolution something like
this:
- 4 u z Il