The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1885-02-18

Iowa Prohibition and Nearer Home.
The letter Of TRAMP Printer in the
News Of January 2lst was well written
newsy, and interesting. There was one
paragraph however, that I am convinced
was suggestively misleading. It ran as
follows;
Iowa has been experimenting with pro-
hibitory liquor laws, and the people Of
Iowa just now Nre the most disappointed
and dlsgusted people imaginable. I have
been all over the State, and as 1 wanted TO
hnd out whether prohibition prohibits or
not I have been unusually obseryapt in
this respect, and 1 am compelled 10 saw
that it is a delusion aud a snare I have
been In but two or three towns where liuuor
was not sold under some disguise or other
Anybody in Iowa will tell you the same
thing. The people-whatever they used to
thtnk-are clamorous for their repeal aud
are petttioning for special session of Leg
lslature to repeal them. The next time a
temperance lecturer comes to Hillsboro and
says that prohibition is a success in Iowa.
tell him that say he lies, for know bet
Ter. Ihey now want stringent license laws
out here, and will undoubtedly get them at
the next sessioa of the Legislature.
It should be remembered that the Con-
Btitutional Amendment for which the peo-
pie Of Iowa voted by such an overwhelming
majority, and out Of which they were so
neatly cheated by judicial juggle, did not
strike at the personal drinking habits Of
the people. Under it, as under the cele-
brated Maine Law, individuals may drink
all the intoMcants they please, provided
they can get them. They may also pur-
chase them in great or small quantities for
personal use outside the State, and have
them imported by any common carrier and
brought to their doors with impunity. To
forbid this personal drinking would indeed
be a sample Of the much talked of "sump-
tuary laws that our Democratic friends
never tire Of denouncing Seeing however.
there are no such laws, and nobody pro-
poses to enact them, is not this rather
voluminous illustration of the dog bayinp
at the moon. The Iowa statute and the
Maine Law aim to dry up the dram shops
and prevent the traffic in intoxicants foJ
use as beverage. Only this and nothing
more. Even a casual reading Of the
Tramp Printer" who having Just meas
ured his length on the slippery walk. was
justly eZasperated at the overnice porter
who deliberately carried pan Of ashes
across the sidewalk and dumped it in the
gutter, will show that in the very atmos.
Phere he found constitutional prohibition.
After this aggravadng sidewalk experience
one is prepared for violent denunciations
or extreme comparisons. And our Il. p.
being very human does not disappoint YOU
Hear him "The inhabitants seem as con-
additionally opposed to putting ashes on
slippery walks as they are to whiskvln
Exactly. Plainly then they are not "oIam-
orous' for the repeal of prohibition. Il
will also be noticed that there were ''two or
three" of the twenty to thirty large towns
which he visited where he could not dis
cover the sale Of liquor. It will also be
seen that he says where it was sold it was
under some disguise or other" even az
gambling may be carried on in nearly any
community. Avery different thing from
open, lawful, State protected dram shops,
such as you would have under the stringent
license which he favors. That enthusiastic.
but not over gentlemauly annihilator.
which our T. P. deputies anyone to use
in his name on 'the next temperance lee
tureF that comes to Hillsboro saying prohi.
bition is success in Iowa, ," rather argues
that our young friend of twsuty-one may
have fallen into bad company. Maturing
years will doubtless not only improve his
judgment but also his language.
Some weeks ago there was dispatch
from Kookuk, Ia, in the Cincinnati Com
meroial Gazette headed Prohibition a
failure in lowe, speaking Of an action Of
the common council Of that city, requesting
the Governor TO call the State Legislature