Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-07-22
fHE THOMAS COUNTY CAT.

3cle from the pen of the venerable w.
m. Edwards NJ. d. found in your val
liable paper of July 9Th. subject, "Pro-
hibition a failure.
Now BY permission we shall attempt
. reply to the DIR. and to all others of
like faith And having had a perfect
understanding of the Drs position and
his disciples, it seems good to us to
write of the things wherein the Dr.
needs to be instructed. For be it un-
derstood by all, the DIR. is a temper
anee man, but still he is crying out
both by pen and tongue, prohibition a
failure.
Now to the subject in hand and, lst
The practical workings of prohibition,
or does Prohibition prohibit.
The principal, if not the only argu-
ment which is now being employed
against prohibition is that it is imprac-
ticable and does not prohibit, having
heard this statement so often and
from such seemingly creditable sources
we have been led to investigate the
subject with some care, we have con-
Guided thus, that if prohibition was
and is truly a failure, and its enforce
ment impossible, that its further adj
yocacy by temperance people would
be a wanton if not wicked waste OF
time. | have taken no small amount
of pains to gather up the most authen-
tic and reliable testimony that could
be found bearing upon this subject;
and The result is to confirm me in the
conviction that prohibition is not only
practicable but the only feasible meas
ure for the radical suppression OF the
evils of intemperance. The opponents
of prohibition are eternally convicting
themselves of the most palpable absur-
dities BY constantly saying that pro
hibition does not prohibit and then
turning square around and making this
!. assumption preteXt for advocating
(license which most certainly does not
! Arohibit, but on the contrary increases
The sale of alcoholic drinks why is
byery brewer and distiller and every
Ealoon keeper from the lowest to the
lightoned and would be respectable
.vender. / am opposed to it, if pro
]. hibition is failure as rumites would
7feign have us to believe, and its prac-
lticd Operations tantamount to free
(trade and tends to increase rather
Ahan diminish the quantity of liquor
aold and consumed why should those
tho are engaged in the traffic whose
Interest would be greatly subserved
such a result opposed to what they
GALL 'ssumptuary laws and pledge by
III that is sacred that they will sup
p<rt for office only men who are open
E committed to license, why are they
aoing all in their power at the present
sOprocure the repeal of all prohibitory
statutes, if prohibition is a future and
Increases their trade, why did they op-
pose the constitutional amendment
prohibiting the manufacture and sale
of liquor in Kansas and Iowa. Why
are they now engaged in most des-
perate fight in other states to prevent
the.submission to the people of similar
constitutional amendments. Why
pray tell US. DR.. is the whole rum
ohgarchy fighting prohibition with
such desperation if it is such an I'M
mitigatcd failure and snch an advan
tage to their business. If more liquor
is sold under prohibition than under
license it certainly is Il financial bene,
fit to all VINO are engaged in the traf-
fic and to be consistent they should
fight for its adoption. There are men
who will argue on the one hand that
prohibition is injurious to other branch
es of commerce, they say people will
not come to a town to buy goods where
liquor selling is prohibited and in the
very next breath they will turn around
and pronounce prohibition an utter
failure. s.Verily the legs of the lame
are not equal. no better argument car
be desired to prove that prohibition
does prohibit than the fact that al
rum-drinkers and rum-sellers are op
posed to it. They would be first te
extol its advantages and urge its q
doption if it could be made to sub
serve their mercenary interests.
The supposed failure of prohibition
laws arises from false notion as te
what we have right to expect from
such measures. Many individuals in
fer that all prohibitory laws are fail
hres because they do at once enforct
themselves and put an end to all drink
ing or drunkenness No intelligent O
we'll informed prohihitionist ever eN
pseted any such impossible results
1 from the enactment of prohibitor,
measures. We have no reason to ex
vet any more from law prohibiting
he manufacture and sale OF arden
r8pirits, than from any ether statut'
\ regulating or prohibiting other crimes
! It will be found upon examination