The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-08-11
Gke QRtetEiigsufer
wngELIN0, W, VA AUGUST u lSSO'
rrnnlnllIon and snbmI..Ion.

iGief BlAnub on NAe HuSp''SUI ~ L..,, t;Toap
II has spoken uni QniYocal!y u0Len I4' t.so
on that point. HUI they do noE know .ne
INrRLLIdgNCER's position. " hss sLau'
died all blLCs Of Tho ierce on lhls Yuss,
ton and Ihe peoIs are getnhs gIeaHy
ConcerG,l about which way y WIN ntg iss
gun, lhihs IATRLLlGENcPH ior o. As"Iti,ss
nTohibitioIl or il II for submitting tue
amenJinurt 10 the people with reseTya :
tion ri voting against 1t at the poiis
The German.AlGCrican citizens 81 ohio
county, aid all Others who Oppose p'ohil'
bjti0n. real a that admitting the amend
menk means engralting 1t upon the Con-
AIuntinI, M the State, aud no lOphlhtTy OF
hvnocrisy can hide the real result and
consequence fiom them. Let us hear
from Gur esteemed contemE orary.-ReJiS'
Ter.
There ia good reason to doubt That the
Register is the authorized spokesman ol
'the German Americans Of Ohio county"
who doubtless already feel under ob!Iga'
tons to that newspaper for its unIemit-
tinv efforts to Get them oil by themselves
asa separate and distinct element oil tho
community, The INTELLIdENcEH prefers
to consider tho people as q whole, and is
lder no obligation TO pay special court
t. any part Of them.
Nobody who can read and understand
the English language has any reason to be
in the dark in respect Of tho 1NTELLIaEN'
cpRs position on the question Of prohibi'
ton or the question a submission. ES'
o.yLoly who reaGs this newspaper knows
that ~ It does not favor prohibition, and
(2) that 1t il in favor Of submitting the
proposed amendment
Q) The liquor traffic Is attended with
so many evils that 1t cannot be allowed to
DRIFT which way 1t will. Society must try
to protect itself in they way which prom
issa tho best results. The INTELLldENcER
docs not believe that way to lie through
an attempt at absolute prohibition, which
Is weakeAt where there is most need Of in
tellgent and firm regulation; to wit, in
the large towns and cities. Tho liquor
laws which wo have are not enforced IN
Wheeling. Wems blame the officers Of
the law, who are indeed culpable, but the
fault lies back Of them. II public op!n'
ion demanded the enforcement Of the law
tho law would be enforced, for public ser
wants desiro to conciliate public opinion,
being always eager to know what the con-
trolling sentiment Of the people Is.
Prohibition not enforced, as would be
tho case without supporting public
opinion, there would be liquor traffic
yielding no revenue, which is in fact the
case in many II not most Of the no-license
c,uatiss in this State. In tho city Of
Wheeling, where the liquor traffic is at it's
height in West Virginia, intoxicating
beverages would DO sold in spite Of the
p,ohibitory amendment, Just as now they
are sold in spite Of the Sunday law and
the laws against selling to minors and
habitual drunkards. This, in briel, is the
olF.uttered view Of the INTELLldENcRR on
this question.
(2) The submission Of o prohibitory
amendment is desired by very large
number Of people in this State. Some OF
these urge submission because they de.
airo to vote for tho amendment; others
because, though they do not intend to
vote for the amendment, they are willing
that those who do wish TO change the
organic law may have the opportunity 10
test the sense Of the people on this ques.
ton. The 1NTELLldEScER believes in the
rule OF the mSjority; that Is the idea
which lies at the bottom Of the republi.
can form OF government. II the people Of
this State want to put in the constitution
prohibitory amendment, 1t is their
right To put 1t there. We do not know
which way tho majority would go. That
Is the peoples own business to be settled
at the polls.
II the Register "realizes that submitting
the amendment : means engratting II
upon the Constitution Of the State" then
1t realizes that the people want to change
their Constitution to this effect. Does
the ReOisler deny the people tho right TO
make any change in their Constitution
or does II deny them what has been
thought an inalienable right, only when
the exercise Of that right would touch the
liquor trallicH Popular or unpopular, the
1NrRLLiaEScRR maintains the right Of the
people to rule; which means that tho
majority shall decide by what laws and
through what ministers Of the law they
shall govern themselves.
There is still another phase Of tho gen.
eal question which We havo not seen
touched In this State outside Of the
columns Of the 1NrRLLloENCER. In tho
event Of tho passage Of a prohibitory
amendment, Il would DO manliOStly I'm.
fair 10 sweep away without compensation
industries which have boon built up
Under tile protection Of the State. Brew.
cries and dis!illeries are 10 much indus.
trial enterprises as nail mills and glass
houses, though their products may he
less useful 10 society. Large capital has
been invested in them by the sanction Of
the State aud their plants cannot be re.
moved like 90 many portable engines.
When Bismarck proposed to concentrate
In the hands Of the German government
the whole tobacco business Of Germany,
he was lust enough to propose at the same
time a scheme Of compensation. We must
believe that q moral sentiment strong
enough to prohibit the liquor traffic would
also DO strong enough 10 DO fair to all con.
Cefned. II the people want prohibition
We do not suppose they will couple with
thAta demand for spoliatlon.