The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-08-20

Il
way OF preface 10 what read, that OF
the fourth day of July last prohibition
i had been in force one year In the stat
OF Iowa, and that statistics showing
the effects lof the operation OF thl
law during that time have been col
ected and verified, and il ia to thos,
that the american refers in the state
nent read:
81 ''lowa has prohibitory law which
forbids the manufacture and sale of In
toxicants yet in all the large centres
OF population the traffic proceeds Wig.
orously and openly. In twenty-eigh
towns and cities the number of salooni
y has increased from 40 TO GIG, Will,
the large sums formerly paid for II.
cense are added to the profits OF tn,
saloon keepers. Davenport lose;
s26 900, and Burlington S21 200 In
this way. The utmost that is claimed
by the friends of prohibition is that
they have closed the saloons in small
towns and county districts, and even
for this result they give not the evil
dence of Official returns, but vague
and sweeping estimates. They claim
that 200 saloons have been. closed
: and that 900 are kept closed perma-
nently. But the official figures Of the
internal revenue department show
that Iowa has sixteen rectiiicrs of
spirits, and4327 dealers In intoXicants,
so that the reduction of numbers in
tho places outside the cities cannot
have been great. The total for the
state would be less than 2 900 II the
estimates of the prohibitionists were
correct.
In Iowa, as in Kansas and in Maine,
prohibition has little efficacy in the
large towns and the cities, which suf-
fer the most from the evils of the
liquor traffic. And in that state, as
elsewhere, five men will vote for pro-
hibition for one who will put hand
to its enforcement. The reduction
of liquor saloons under high-license
law In Nebraska and Illinois, has been
greater than Iowa under Prohibition. At
the same time there has been no such
stimulus to lawlessness in the enforce
ment of high license, and the assist
ance of the liquor dealers has been
secured in its enforcement.
These are cold solid facts. They
can not be controverted. The result
has been the same in cities and towns
in Maine and Vermont as In Iowa.
In these states prohibition was carried
by great maj0rities, yet the law can
not be enforced. In twenty eight
towns and cities in Iowa, whiskey
shops are Increased from 40 under
license law to 9lG hnder just such pro-
hibitory law as our prohibition friends
are trying to force OH our city. Some
saloons il is true are said TO have been
closed in the country but the statement
ismade and is true tha' more saloons are
closed in Illinois and Nebraska under
high license than in Iowa by prohibi-
ton. Besides there's no violation of
law and no Generalization of the peo-
pie under the license system as under |
prohibition, and under the license |
system the state receives the large reye- |
nues aud gets none under prohibition. |
While drunkenness may be decreased |
IN the county To some little extent I'M
der prohibition il is increased to an |
alarming extent in the cities. there
fore say to my country friends AS you,
under the local option law are permit
ted TO have prohibition or not in yoIF
precinct and decide for yourselves with
out let or hindrancc from the people OF
Waco in the name OF all that is Just
and right allow Waco the same PRIV
ilege and do not by your votes fasten
upon her ameasure which will de-
stroy our prosperity, increase drunk
enness and vice and demoralize her
people. II more testimony corrobor-
alive of that just read is needed, | will \
read letter from Hon. Thos. +. Bay
ard to a member OF the legislature of
Delaware, when that body was discus h
sing local option bill. Here is what
he says:
WASHINGTON, ID. G March / 1881.
My Dear Sir--I do not like to in
trude my opinions unasked for upon h
of the legislature.
agree with you in thinking "local
option" laws of very doubtful consti-
and positive ineXpedicncy.
As | understand them they submit a
law to popular vote, in local districts,
and this defeats the principle of Our
government, which is representative
in Its character, and places the whole
law making power and discretion in |
the legislature and not in the people |
in their mere numerical force and |
primary capacity.
punishment of criminals was to be 1
and inflicted by "local op
laturc executed by judges and juries,
il would be held wholly at variance
with our theory OF government, and
yet to apply such Il rule to- so wide
spread and daily habit rs the use of |
alcoholic or fermented beverages is,
in my Judgment, quite as unsafe.
So far as my experience goes, well |
regulated system of licenses, whereby !
revenue is largely brought INTO the |
public treasury, coupled with severe |
penalties Tor Illicit sale, has proved |
the most efficient check upon the abuse |
OF the liquor traffic.
In many respects. the question is (,
spmptuary one, and laws attempting |
to establish sumptuary regulations be-
come inquisitorial and impossible of
execution, so that in those commune
ties in this country where they have
been enacted, they have either aggra-
waited the evil they were intended TO
prevent, or have fallem into contempt
and uselessness and been repealed.
The statements have seen of the
real condition of those communities in
which total prohibition has been at
tempted have impressed me very
strongly in confirmation of these
views.
Personal influence and example and
precept, and the rccog milton of the
great truth that intempcrancc in the
use OF stimulants of all kinds is NOR
bid physical fact both in cause and
effect, is, in my judgment, the proper
view to commence with. Statistics
abundantly prove that the attempted
suppression by statutes of the use of
alcoholic stimulants is accompanied by
an increase in the use of opiates, aud
that open drinking being stopped,
secret drinking ensues.
do not believe any man has great