The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-08-23


misstoners' courts, the members of
which arc precinct representatives.
Oar constitution recognizes the cor
RICHNESS OF this principle OF local self
government, enuiapplies it in numer-
Gus instances; and in all countries
Whefo government has been studied
as q science, certain concessions
nave boon made 20 localities
because of tho surrounding condi.
tons, and in TeXas such conceS-
slons nave been made to cities, nOta-
bly, so in the matter of sundry reQu-
lations. 10 Dosing with prohibition
and similar questions, It Is folly 10 at
tempt to make ~ inlexibla State law,
because those localities which opposed
itS adoption wilt give the same ma
J0rltles IN tayOc Of officers who Will
not attempt TO enforce IL too strictly.
One portion of Texas might vote pro-
hlbitl0n on the other, but would be
poWer.ess 70 enforce the provisions OF
the law unless a radical change was
made in our constitution SO as to have
all prosecuting officers elected by The
popular vote OF the State. In counties
whore the voter believed that pr0hibi-
ton WIS an infringement on personal
liberty, and which cast large vote
against it, there would be an open dis
regard OF the statute. The United
States government, with ali its power
anGSmoney, and in spite of the fact
that 1t has selected It's officers from
Other localities not affected with the
tainG Of MorlnoDism, made but little
headway In the suppression Of pOlyg-
amy until Utah drew largely from a
population opposed 10 it. When you
make law that is intended NOT to
protect one Individual against another,
put rather to abate a nuisance, Won
must DO sure that the people in the
community to be effected regard IL as
a nuisance. | feel certain that il is
best Tor the temperance cause, best for
the people, and best for the Demo-
cratic party to let tho prohibit N
question resr where IL ~, on q LEGAL or
ton basis. There il no necessity tor
such thing, and dOl't regard it as
even probable, but If general prohibi-
ton should be made State issue, the
Democratic party would have
to declare against it, and IN doing
SO would not, after q proper
canvass lose 10000 votes In The
state, and the vote IL Woulu lose would
DO that which has been Democratic not
from any conviction of the correctness
OF party principles, but because it was
the strong party ia the State. IL, how
ever, the party was TO 20 further and
declare against the right Of cOmmuni-
tics to regulate the matter, IL would
become the minority party OF This
state, for the counties which usually
gtvo the lsrgesG m8jOritigs Tor tho
ticket, and which will continue to 90
SO, even with State prohibition as an
issue, would give equally as large ma
Jorities against tho ticket, ii sny at
tempt was made TO declare against the
right of local option. The solid Demo
cratic vote at the State is the farmer
vote, and 1t i3 naturally conservative,
ana while the farmer will contend for
tho right Of local option aud exercise
~ IN favor Of prohibiting
the retail of liquor In
his own precinct or county, he has q
respect for the opinion Of othors diff
iDr5ntiy situated, and has no burning
desire TO regulate tho rest Of tho STATE
or world. He manifests this cOusgrv-
atism in ell things, and it IL tho onlv
s9iegusrd Of Republican institutions.
You can so into q city and get up an
excitement over the religious cGndi.
ton Of tho neathen In Africa and sue
coed II getting quite q subscription
from mon who arc not religious them
salye7i ana who have never stopped to
relieve tho people at she.r own dOors;
tAe same man can go into o farming
community Hnd SEQ every evidence OF
liberal donations tp churches and
school houses, and y9, hs couldn't SUE
cttd IN making tuat community 40
into Mysteries over the want of these
things in the toeji Glands. A tree dis.
cussion Of this question wilt result I'm
the people being satisfied with local
option aud opposed to prohibition, for
they viii SEQ that the one
deals with 1t in n Democratic
way and the other does not. In
the ono case man * only taking
the mUto out OF his own eye; in tho
other he Is trying TO take the beam out
OF the eye OF some ono whose cOnd.-
ton cannot possibly affect his own.
Local option is not intended TO depriye
an individual of the use.Of LIQUOR, nor
TO Interfere with ma personal rights,
and neither does 10 have this effect; II
is intended TO relieve those communl-
Ties desiring 10 OF the pernicious infla-
euces of the retail liquor business.
Prohibition 10 intended 10 entirely de-
prive him OF liquor by stopping its sale
Tor manufacture at any convenient
point, or by himself for his own use.
Under the prohibition amendment
pending before the last Legislature, il
adopted, No man could have made
wine out of his own grapes for uso on his
own table,aud no old woman could have
made blackberry cordial except in vi
Olation OF law. 1t seems 20 me
that the distinction between the
two Is worry manifest, aud the people
will not fail to draw IL. They will SEQ
in ono a reasonable police regulation,
which any Community should have
the right 10 adopt; In the other, q spo-
clos OF oppression and interference
with personal rights. Extreme pro-
htbitlunists insist that q man can't
favor prohibition In county unless
no faVOrs II as matter OF State legls.
latiOn, and Is seeking to get those
who favor local option 10 pool Issues in
favor of general prohibltory legisla-
ton; but any success in this direction
will only be temporary. Local option
Is not straddling OF the prohibition
fence, nor n compromise, for long be-
fore thoio was any prohibition agita-
ton in tho southern States the local
option features were incorporated Ia
the different constitutions or statutes.
This provision was made in the inter
est Of local self-government, on the
same principle that precincts aud
counties were given tho righg 10 adopt
special stock and 'euce laws"
Reporter see thsJ Jau churches are
taking tho lead In the prohibition
movement, and arc there not enough
church members 10 control the votoy
Answer don't think that the fact
OF the ministers taking the stump or
preaching from the pulpit on The
question will help the prohibition
cause In a political way, but ON tho
contrary IL will ipjure Il, as tho people
have a holy horror of any combine
tons between church and State. III
any church makes the support ofpro-
hibition n test of proper membership,
or as a plan of salvation, requires
anything more than Is required by the
divine law, the church would suffer
more than the political party opposed
by Il. Too active part by the minis
ters would produce In every neighbor-
hood divisions similar TO the one
caused between the Northern aud
southern Methodist churches by an