West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1886-03-31

| OPAOAv Va q ASANA - AAAAS SA~s~s $500
agitating the public mind, con-
stantly presents new aspects. We
have had the period Of awaking
and education. Everybody knows
that the liquor traffic is an evil.
The people in all parts of the coun-
try are interested in the great prob
lem before US. What is to be the
limit OF successful work. is the
question of supreme Importance ?
Especially does this inquiry arise
in the States where the goal of con-
stitutional or statutory Prohibition
has been reached. Fully appre-
ciating the value of the agitation
in any given State, we are con-
strained to ask: Shall this reform
be carried State by State, through
the entire Union? Must the I'M
pleasant warfare that we have had
on the plains Of Kansas, be carried
through a century? Or is there
shorter way to exterminate this
curse of the nation? This inquiry
is prompted by several facts.
1. Whatever has been gained in
Kansas, Maine, and Iowa, has been
done at great cost and the most un-
pleasant agitation in every COM
munity where the laws are enforced.
This we are willing to endure for
lifetime if necessary. But if all
this sacrifice of time, money and
friendship could be avoided, it
should be done.
2. 1t is question whether the
stream of intoxicants turned out
by one State, isn't turned into 9TH
ers. 1t is well known that many
saloonists have gone out of Kan
sas to continue their traffic in 9TH
er States.
We are thus led to ask whether,
SO long as the manufacture of in
toxicants is protected and fostered by
the national government, it will
not find place Of consumption in
the States?
3. Prohibitory laws in isolated
States are subject to political in
trigues SO that it requires all the
energies and means Of the Temper
ance people to prevent the repeal
of the laws. Between 1916 and
1866 the following States and ter
ritories passed Prohibitory laws
against the liquor traffic Maine,
New Hampshire, Vermont, Massa-
chusetts, Connecticut, Rhode
Island, New York, Delaware, Mich
igan, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota,
Kansas and Nebraska-some of
them more than once. (McLintock
and Strong's Cyclopedia is authori-
ty for this statement.) But where
are these laws to-day? On the
most trivial grounds they have
been set aside, decided unconstitu-
tional, and the will of the people
thwarted in the most INSCRIPTIONS
manner.
4. The officers in any State that
may enact a Prohibitory law, Sc
ing that the traffic is not outlawed
in other States nor by the country
at large, are not stimulated to the
enforcement of a law that seems to
antagonize the attitude of the gen.
eral government, and the party to
which the officers belong. Hence
Temperance people are reduced to
the necessity of resolving them
selves into kind of sub-oficials
searching out criminals, bringing
prosecutions, contributing money,
enduring insults and prosecutions,
and in all this must use the Off
Gals as kind of mechanical force !;
for if they ever act voluntarily, it
is to screen the criminal and multi
fy the law. It is evident that the
enforcement of law under such cir
cumstances is a tedious and unsat-
isfactory business. We are will
ing to endure these methods if
necessary but is there not shorter
way to "Pulverize the Rum Pow
er?' The present method is very
much like amputating mans
arm by cutting off one finger at a
time, and then by half inches, un-
der the plea that to cut the hui
merus at once would be too painful
an operation! Can the righteous