The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-08-05
AeERMAN's VIEW

a GEhA1AS'9 N4EW
OFtls Question Of Submissions Prohibition
Not the Present ISsus-RIghts Of the AIa'
Iorltv,
To the Editor Dtte IEteltGsFen'
GIR;-In perusing tho powerful antics oil
tho Wheeling Register on the prohibition
question it is hard to tell which emotion
struggled the harder for mastery in my
Inind, indignation or Amusement. Hon
0pays your money and takes your choice"
nnd'the reader Of that Democratic oracle,
whether prohibitioniat, beer drinker or
whisky sucker, who can't draw Consols.
ton from It's editorial comments should
emierste to the dominions OF the Gear
where a variety o. opinions is not allowed.
One day 1t berates the Republican party
like a tlsh monger for passingg resolution
W0nly intended for fraud and ChatE TO
catch prohibition votes WITH" and the
next dsy Il scolds like a termagant and
calls on Editor Hart, Capt, Doyener ana
the "other fellows" to rise and explain
how It happened that they permitted a
genuine, simon pure, eighteen.kaT pro-
hibilion resolution to pass the Republican
conference without raising their yoiCes n
DrOtest. lit was intended as a "IFaud'
what need TO waste language In protest,
II Il ia a genuine article where does the
Ichadn come in, except that which 10
sSowered upon the public through the
editorial comments OF the RsglStsri Much
leaning, or the lack Of It, hard to tell
which, hath made the Register man mad,
II that editorial reasoning Is q fair speCl'
men Of Democratic ethics, the editor
thereof had better suspend bis l2bors in
that direction and take q hand on our
city bitches now being dug by tho natural
gas companies, and try and gather and
Ililizs a more Profitable kind OF gas than
that which he is now blowing oil upon
II nv limited understanding Of this
subject has grasp0d 1t properly | do not
consider that the resolution passed ut
the PaTkersburg conference has anything
to do with the question Of prohibition ex'
cent in an indirect way. Assuming that
the conference was honest in passing 1t
and meant Just what they gaid, | fail TO
geein their action any design to commit
the party either for or against prohibition.
1t certainly does not favor 1t, nor does 1t
oppoBe it. Has the Democratic party
done more or lessP Prohibition Is q
social question, and one that must be
treated like any other sumptuary Ques.
lion, The submission Of y constitutional
question 10 a vote OF the people Is .
political question, because its accomplish
ment can only be secured through the
action nj n n~oliticsl body-the Legislature.
Thia Leingthe case whereindossa political
party 20 sstray in resolving that the peO'
pIs shall be heard on any question that
they demand TO BE- heard upon? And
that party comes the nearest to ths peo'
pie that Is the readlest to meet public de-
mands. ,,,
/ do not suppose that the public is in.
terested in the slightest degree in mo or
in my opinions, habits, &C., but | wish to
state them briefly that you may under.
stand the standpoint from which dis
Cuss tho question.
Ihayo been a beer drinker from my in.
fancy and came from a land which 1t 10 as
common as tea and coffee are in my adopt.
ed country. l do not believe 1t il wrong
to use Il and when l want OGe wine or
whisky | do not believe IL Is wrong to take
them, l am opposed TO prohibition and
shall vote against it il the question ever
comes before me-. am opposed to dis
tulbing the financial status OF the many
vast industries used in tho manufacture Of
beer and distilled liquora. am opposed
10 depicting municipalities OF license reye.
nues. l ain opposed to sump:uary legtg.
lation because it is clothed with a%tyranni.
cal garb. | am opp0ned 10 my neighbor
debating to me the quantity or quality Of
beer as much as he would oppose my
debating to him the quantity and quality
Of his potatoes and bacon.
With me, Mr.. Editor, conscience ia not
a factor in this argument, and the peryer.
sion Of conscience cannot be charged
against me with greater force than against
the prohibitiontsts, because beer and
wine occupy the same conscientious level
with rue that ice water does. At the game
time l am opposed to drunkcnneaa or the
abuse Of any gift or privilege. II | use
these gifts TO excess and produce q public
injury, then the law should impose It's re.
stfaints, and should do 1t In all cases
where injury to others Is In excess OF my
own personal rights.
These opinions were brewedin my mind,
In my native Germany, along with the
beer and wine that nourlshsd them and
Eaye them force. At the same time l
conceived other opinions Of equal II not
greater force. One Of them was that the
people were sovereign and the msjority
had the right 10 rule. Because | was ham.
pered in sentiment In my native land l
came to America where opinion was free.
Should | deny TO the citizens Of my adopt.
ed country that which caused my expatria.
ton from my native country? Should /
or my c%ountrymen enact the same role here
for which we condemned Bismark there?
We would be unreasonable beings 10 DO
mand the privilege and would he tyranIs
Of the same CALDER as those from whom
We fed 10 exercise 1t. Iadmit that major
tiles sometimes become oppressive tyrantS,
but time always averages them according
to their merit. The rule Of the majority
Is tho only safe and tenable one where the
people are sovereign. l saw In my native
land the will Of the majority ground 10
dust by a email minority that assumed
power through the divine right Of rulers
and Kings. l came to America and soon
afterwards saw the right Of the sovereign
majority emerge In full stature and pan
oply from q four years terrible carnage.
Tl,n .ivLk II ~uyrittan In hlnnH and a In