New-York tribune., 1885-01-19
THE TEST IN IOWA.

III
Iowa are well founded. the people of that State
who have at heart the temperance reform need
70 bestir themselves. The question whether
tbe acknowledged evils of intemperance can
hest be met by prohibitory cnactments, or by
restrictive legislation. OF By tho local optioh
policy, or by moral influences exclusively, Is
PRACTICAL question. which Is to-day subjected toa
practical test before the whole world. IheJudg-
ments of intelligent citizens IN all parts OF ths
country as to the practicability and expediency
OF prohibition are depending. in great meas
ure, upon the practical workings OF that policy
in the State of Iowa. For Iowa has few large
cities. il is controlled by law-abiding rural
DoDulation. its people are generally Intelligent
and conscientious. and they decided by large
majority, upon direct vote, to prohlbit
wholly the manufacture or the sale OF In
toxicating liquors. If the policy OF
prohibition cannot be enforced there,
or if. being enforced as far as practicable 1t
Yields unsatisfactory results In incompaIison with
other modes of dealing with the evils OF intem-
perance. this test will have very great weight
upon public opinion, and particularly upon the
onipion of those influential and intelligent men
without whose aid no reformatory movement
can succeed.
According to The Grand Rapids Ga'ette, tho
onjnions of scventy-five members OF the Legs
laflre "A 10 the operation OF the prohibitory
nolicy in their respective localities are by no
means satisfactory. 1t is quite likely that as
the number of members quoted is only one
half the whole number, preponderance OF
adverse opinion may have been produced in
mart by n selection of members to be quoted.
&C 4h. 81 e,t "a IL.
enter into such detail and appear to have so
much of foundation, that 1t IL difficult to resist
the impression that the prOhibtory system
in Iowa has thus far been very made
ouately enforced. IL this is the fact,
either as TO the whole State or rs to any consid-
erable proportion Of the towns or counties, 1t
clearly indicates a state OF public opinion
which does not promise well for the success of
the same policy in other parts of the country.
Let it be distinctly understood, The TRIB-
USE regards the prohi1itory policy as
one which OaSat IN no case to be adopted.
unless the people are disposed and de-
ternincd to enforce it faithfully, honestly and
thoroughly. Il is far better TO have upon the
statute books no law whatever against the usa
of intoxicating liquors, than to have law
winch the people refuse TO enforce or to obey.
and which therefore tends to bring all law into
contempt. The effect of such legislation,
where public opinion does not enforce it, is to
weaken the cause of temperance, to destroy
the influence of sincere and worthy rcformcrs,
to preventive adoption of othermethOds which
are at least in a measure effective and To great
ly diminish the force of those moral influences
upon which, after ALL any and every legisla-
tive policy Of reform must finally depend for
it's success There seemed reason to hope that
in State like Iowa. after its free and positi We
decision of the people in favor Of the prohlbi-
tory policy that method might be fairly and
fully tested. Thousands of earnest friends
of temperance, who cherish the belief
that the prohibitory method Is after all
the only sufficient and effective remedy where
public opinion can be brought To adopt and
sustain it, are looking with great interest to
the result in Iowa. II is possible that the re-
ports thus far made public do not correctly
represent the condition Of things IN that State
If So an early effort should be made to have
the practical workings of prohibition clearly
and fairly exhibited On the other hand, if
law is not enforced in Iowa, the good people of
that State have a duty to perform which
should not be neglected.