San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1886-01-28
FREE PRESS.
THURSDAY, JANUARY, 2s, 1886.
ProhibItion...The Real Issue.


hear them descanting on the alleged
efforts OF the prohibitionists to dictate
to the people what they shall drink
and they go on to say that ere long
such interference will extend to wha
they shall eat and wear, and as t'
how they shall conduct themselves
in the private relations of life gener
ally. And they wax eloquent or
these assumed contemplated attempts
to regulate such matters by law, and
the outrages on personal liberty invol
we'd therein.
It is possible this sort of talk may
mislead the weak and unthinking
we therefore denounce it as false anc
unfounded-mere stuff and nonsense
No such ends are or ever have been
contemplated by the prohibitionists
1t is the public liquor traffic alone
against which they direct their bat,
teries. People may drink at their
homes, or in private as much as they
like, and however much the prohibi-
tionists may condemn thepractice, and
use moral suasion to correct it, they
never for a moment claimed that they
had any right to correct such prac-
tices by law. They we'll know that
it would be impossible to do SO, and
q real violation of personal liberty,
utterly inconsistent with our demo
cratic institutions to make the at
tempt. Interference of this kind
would constitute a'sumptuaFy law" in
the proper sense Of the term. The
time for such things has long passed,
and it is simply ridiculous to talk
about them, and no one does SO but
the saloon influence and it's patrons
in order to mislead the ignorant and
cast prejudice on the prohibition
cause.
But the open public liquor traffic
as exhibited by the saloons is o very
different thing, and he must be blind
indeed who does not see that 1t is q
fair subject for regulation or suppress
sion by law. 1t affects not merely
the whisky dealer and his patrons,
but all other classes Of people, lead
to the worst results to society. 1t
destroys the lives of its victims, beg
gars families, and turns homes into
scenes of discord and wretchedness.
1t is totally illegitimate business
returning nothing to the public veal
to atone for the manifold evils which
it inficts, on society. For it is easi-
| ly demonstrated that the saving from
criminal court expenses, nearly en-
tirely the result of the traffic, If it
were abolished would vastly over
balance the proceeds of the licenses
paid by the saloons, however high
they may be placed. Besides
the traffic paralyzes labor, leading to
to idleness and dissipation, includ-
ing gambling, the inseparable ad-
iunct to the saloon business. Above
all, these saloons with their gilded
trappings and games of chance, inev-
itably attract the young men and
boys to certain ruin. Surely then
society has clear right to suppress
this great fountain of 'evil- and only
evil, and that continually"
Now when you hear the advocates
of this traffic descanting about ''per-
sonal liberty" and "sumptuary laws
as being aimed at by the prohibition
lists, Just call them to a halt, and hold
them to the point that it is not con-
templated by anybody to prevent
people by law from exercising their
reserved rights" of drinking at home
or in private at their pleasure. OPP
position to that belongs, as we have
said. exclusively to the domain Of
moral suasion. And we say with Mrs.
Saxon, if you think you must drink,
it is vastly better that you should do
so in private Apropos, why should
any drinking man desire to parade
the habit in publicl We daily see
men prominent for their wealth,
position, public officials and even
church-members, going in and out Of
these saloons, knowing all the time
that they can crafty their proPensi-
ty Just ss well in private that the
effect can not be but most perniclous
to the young and others who are IN
huenced by .heir example It - s
great nyssery to Us why they should
set thus SuPPosing they can recon