The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1886-11-11
THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

LII hAVOV1 Vuh04AVNs
Editor Herald:
The consumption of liquor in the
United States has far outstripped
the growth of population. The
number of gallons consumed an.
nually has increased as follows:
1S4O.. III 100000 1870. .293, OOO, 900
1850. !. .94, 100000 1880. SOC, OOO, 600
1860. .202, 100000 1888. ..655. 100000
While the population has only
trebled in the last forty years., the
consumption of liquor is ten times
greater than it was this; and the
amount of money expended in its
purchase shows still greater pro-
portional increase. The annual ex-
pendi,ure for liqoer now exceeds
$500, 100000. Is this not an alarm.
ing state of factsl It is true never
theless. What remedy shall be ap.
piled to stay this tide of wholesale
destruction? The time has certainly
come when reasona Bile and sensible
men should unite on some rational
plan to abate the terrible evil re-
sulting from the use OF Intoxicating
liquors, That it is an evil, and a
great and growing one, none will
pretend to deny. This is an aggres-
sive evil, and has become an i'm
portent element in politics, and to
day yields tremendous influence
and power for evil. e.."
There are some who await "prohi-
bltlon." If you talk to them about
regulation" they will say that
license is ga partnership with crime ,
and a league with hell" They wan
total eradication of liquor, or moth
ing. Is there any real sense or
humanitarianism in this courseP
Prohibition has never done any
good, and has only worked evil, and
that continually. In principal it is
wrong, if the law could be execut ed ;
but it can not be enforced, no m after
under what restrictions it is intro
duced, and by what penalties it is
sustained. If prohibition prohibited
there Nigh be some reason to cling
to it, but it does not. In the state
of Maine, as in 9th er places, the pro-
hibitory law has been a complete
failure. Every where the law has
been ignored. In 1852, Oh 10 adopted
state constitution containing a
clause forbidding the license of the
liquor traffic. Since then she has
been covered with free liquor.
Since the adoption of the anti-license
constitution the worst classes of the
liquor element have had full swing.
Anybody who knows anything
about the drinking habit in the state
of Maine to day,knows that liquor is
drank in many Of the cities and some
of the larger towns, and is in gen.
eral use all over, the state. s@ts
All admit there are too many
saloons; that the law should inter-
fere to regulate the sale and confine
it, as far as possible, within the
limits which legislation is entitled to
prescribe. The law has no right to
say that man shall not drink in
toxicants, but it has right to say
that5he shall not become a drunkard,
if this can be lawfully prevented.
Drunkenness is crime both in
divine and human statutes, and
ought therefore to be punished, and
so far as consistent with the prin.
ciples of liberty to be prevented
When it is once settled that druken.
ness, or the excessive use, is the
crime to be punished and if possible
prevented, the theory of prohibi-
ton will be abandoned for the sys.
tenn of regulation. This can best be
done, as shown by actual expert
ment through the system of high
license which shall establish the
trade in tho hands Of those who
have some self-respect. and who will
not violate the law, themselves, nor
allow it to be violated by others. NJ.
Our correspondent has evidently
given the question great thought
and investigation, but his prejudice
against prohibition seems to have
led him astray. While the friends
of prohibition are too prone to der
value the be ne6cent results OF high
license, it frequently happens, as in
this case, the advocate of high license
fails to do justice to prohibition.
Both are doing good work to the
same end, and the friends of both
should give all aid and encourage.
ment to each other. The right to
restrict implies the right to prohib-
it, as a logical conclusion. The
wisdom of it, is Of course, debatable.