Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-09-17

W mic L bollcNG tIdJ tl0 QcDlaQQ Tor
tho submission of a prohibitory amend
ment to our state constitution is SO
strong and important that it ought to
be needed by our legislature, ] do not
believe that such an amendment would
pass if submitted. nor would accom-
plish in any great degree the desired
object. Nor do | believe that state
prohibition of retail liquor-selling would
be so just, so effective and so practical
BILE as local prohibition. If commun-
ity has majority of veters in favor OF
suppressing the liquor traffic. it may
enforce the prohibition which it has
voted. Ii it has not such majority,
neither itself nor all the other comnun-
tiles in the state can suppress the liquor
traffic in that community.
And until such q majority can be OBJ
tanned in every community, and during
the time when the traffic cannot be
suppressed, it would seem to me that
every opponent of the use of liquors
ought to be willing to assist in restrain
ing the taflic as much as possible and
in cutting away from it its grosser and
deadler evils.
But the prohobitionists are apt to re-
fuse all discussion of the expediency of
restraining or curtailing the liquor traf-
fic by saying, 1T is a crime. We can
not compromise with crime. We must
exterminate it or let it alone. While
we cannot abolish it, we will let it 60
on and do its worst and blacklist. !"
They are fond, too, of comparing laws
against liquor-selling with laws against
theft, murder and other acts uniUerSally
acknowledged and declared to be crimes
They seem 10 assume that nobody does
or can deny that liquor-selling is a
crime. But the contrary fact is that
a majority of the people in the greater
number of the communities of our land
do not regard liquor-selling as a crime.
While ready to acknowledge that the
abuse of liquor is a very bad thing, they
regard an occasional drink as rather a
good thing, and are not so absurdly in
consistent as to regard the furnishing
of this rather good thing as crime.
Last spring 4 majority of the men in
this town voted in favor of licensing the
sale of liquor, and most (and | think at
one time or another all the towns in
this county have done the same thing.
Does anyone suppose that they would
vote in favor of giving any man a
license to steal horses, to shoot people,
to burn houses, or to commit any other
act which the moral sense of the people
regards as crime? 1t is absurd to
suppose so. 1t is clear then, that the
majority of this community Qiko the
majority of most communities) do not
believe that liqaor-selling is crime.
No law can be enforced against the be-
lief of the majority of the community
without despotism.
But the prohibitionists will say, lis
not liquor-selling crime? 1t consumes
the wealth of the country like raging
conaagratiou; it fills our poor-houses
and jails and burdens our court calen-
dar; from the drunkards' homes ii
drives out happiness and plenty and
briggs in want and woe; it makes Wild
ows and orphans it blights bright
hopes aud wrecks noble lives. Must
not that which produces all this train
of evils be crime?''
All, we'll; your argument is very
good and very strong. l have long be-
lieved it. But undsputed facts are too
stubborn things to yield to the strong.
est arguments; and the nndisputed fact
is that the majority of men do not act
as if they believed you. And away
down in their hearts they do not believe
you. They fiatter themselves that the
evils of which you speak come from
the abuse of liquor or from impurities
in it. They think that moderate and
discreet use of pure liquor can do nc
harm. They hug the belief that alco
holic drink is Strengthening" ant
''bracing,' and ''toning up;" that i
''maketh the heart of man glad;n thai
it is desirable ''fer the stomach's sake. )
To be sure, this belief has many time.
been shown TO be false, but it must b,
many times more. The mass of mel
are terribly old-fogyish. They cling te
the remnants of out-worn beliefs just al
they cling to words long after the thing,
they represent have passed away
Americans still speak of pennies ant
'penniless' persons, though genera
tiens ago they had sense enough to dis
card the old irregular, barbarous ant
measurement English currency seal
and adopt he systematic and conven
lent decimal scale.
The proper work of anti-liquor men
then, is still, and must long be, educa
tomato teach decisive majority O
of all our people TO believe thorough
that any and the least use of liquor i
an injury to the individual who uses
and a wrong to society. When thi
education shall be done, public sent
ment will be far more powerful tina
legislation to prevent rot only liquor
selling, but liquor-drinlirg.
The last legislature has furnishe
what may perhaps be well used as a
educational weapon in this cause-th
law authorizing the teaching of th
hygienic effect of alcohol. Win an
prohibitionist raise his hand to use TIL
weapon?
To contribute toward the education;
} effect have mentioned, may be pa
I, doned for mentioning my own exper
ence. In the last twenty-three year
have travelled widely, observed closel
and experienced deeply. Ihave know