The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-10-24

liSHb, 30 per Ceut VI IHc TepuDiiCdii
members, and 20 per cent of the green
back members were in favor of allow
ing the people the opportunity to vote
upon the question of prohibition, while
SO per cent of the democratic men,
bers, mo"
1t is often charged that republicans
had q majority In the legislature of
1888, and are therefore responsible for
the non-submission of the prohi bitory
amendment" Prohibitionists like Sam
uel Dickie never inform their audiences
that it requires q twO-thirds vote to
submit an amendment for the reason
that such information would be san i'm
putation upon the Intelligence of the
people," In the Michigan legislature of
1888, there were I'll republicans in the
house and 10 In the senate, making a
total of so. To have submitted the
amendment 1t would have taken two
thirds of 1872, or SIS votes, or eight more
than the republicans possessed. Did
any audience in Michigan ever hear
these facts stated by political prohi-
bition orator?
In the light of the above facts we ask
all fair-minded men whether Z party
should be judged by the action Of the
majority or minority? The political
prohibitionists not only attack the re-
publican party for the action of small
minority Of its members, governed by
the demands of their local constituent
cies, but
wILLFULLY FALSIFY
the attitude Of the party as repre-
sented by more than three-quarters
of it's legislative members. From
the time the republican party first
came into power large majority of
the republican members of the legisla-
ture have been found advocating and
voting for measures calculated to adj
vance the temperance cause. large
majority of the members of that party
will leave nothing undone in the future
to advance temperance, and give the
people the privilege of voting on pro-
hibitOry amendment. The laws now
on the statute-boOks are not only re-
strictive and calculated to bind the
giant evil in chains, but If thoroughly
enforced are largely
PROHIBITIvE IN CHARACTER.
Under the local option law of 1888
more than half of the villages In Michi-
gan If they so desire can wipe out the
sale of all intoXicants within their bor-
ders. The sale of liquors TO minors is
strictly prohibited under the present
law; while every saloon in Michigan
can be closed OH election days, holidays,
sundays, and after certain time at
night. Wherever there is sentiment to
enforce the present laws three-quarters
of the result Is prohibition pure and
simple; and this seems to us long step
in the direction OF the goal which all
true friends of temperance in one way
or another are trying to reach. The
republican Legislature of 1883 enacted
law requiring instruction In the COM
mon schools to be given relative to
1.-THE effect of alcohol on the human
system" This will, we have no doubt,
prove
ONE OF TIE MOST EFFECTIVE BLOWS
ever struck against King Alcohol. SO
rejoiced were the w. &. Il. u, of Lam
sing, over the passage Of this measure
that they signitied their approval and
qualification by placing upon the desk
of each member voting therefor beau
tiful bouquet, with the best wishes Of
the Union.
These facts and the Tightening of
many screws I'm the existing liquor
laws by the same Legislature,
GIVE THE LIE DIRECT
to the charge of political prohibition
lists that the republican party is
whisky party" Surely the w. 9. II.
U. at that time made no such unjust
accusation.
TAXATION NOT A LICENSE,
But as last resort political prohi-
when confronted by the above
facts, will answer: Il can never con-
sent to license an evil" We deny that
taxation Is license. Several years
ago Justice Cooley of our supreme
court showed conclusively that taxa
ton was not q license Ca decision which
has many times been published). Dur
ing the present year Justice Sherwood
in the case Of People v. Walling Ito
be found in IS N. w. Reporter, page
500, held as follows:
1.-The imposition of the tax upon the
business of selling Intoxicating liquor
is not q license, and Is not violation of
the constitution of our State as sup
posed by counsel for defendant. ~ The
statute does not create or authorize
the business, but rather assumes its
existence whether lawful or not can
make no diffcrence), and viewing the
traffic with disfavor the Legislature of
Michigan,as has the law making power
of every civilized State and nation DUR
ing the last hundred years, by resort to
the police power, sought in various
ways to prevent and restrain by its en-
actment the evil effects upon the State
and society. The statute under con-
sideration belongs to this class Of legis-
lation. Its object was to curtail the
traffic, show legislative disapproval
and to a certain extent provide revenue
to aid In ameliorating the evils which
the trade has never failed to entail up
on the community. 1t was for these
purposes the tax upon the business was
and for the enforcement of
its collection the penalty in this case
was imposed"
How ridiculous in the light OF these
decisions appear the
RECKLESS ASSERTIONS OF POLITICAL
PROHIBITIONISTs,
that taxation Is a license.
The New York Independent, the
leading religious newspaper of this
also utters the following words
Of wisdom OH this same subject:
"When we cannot get what we do
giant which Ia trohi hi ;a,, xya ,,,ilI 10