Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-09-17
PROHIBITION.
!. Real Obstacle to Its Complete Ac-
~ .n,1ishment-Thero Must Be No
Stop to the Work.

paal obstacle 10 4tS complete AC-
" .,nnlishment-Thero Must Be No
Stop to the Work.
From the Toledo Blade.l
r.. following extract is from an editorial
ia ~ Of the leading daily papers of the
". and refers to the men who are work.
s' s,r the establishment Of Prohibition:
:. ,.oms to be hopeless task to beat il
II .ne heads of these radicals, first, that
Pto ,;hition cannot be enforced by legisla-
oman IN INV community where the majority
Oh l ~ is opposed to it, and, second,
snl' .ha world will have to enter upon its
hss,,' Uni period before Prohibition can
' Wa take this extract up for discussion,
,,suse it contains, in compact form, the
|et;re argument of the great majority Of
lnusnneactable anti Prohibitionists. The rea.
sHs why all others oppose Prohibition are
! at they either make money out of the
|p ,,n traffic, or are the slaves Of the drink
[F .h;t Hence, it is hopeless to argue with
Ea am Therefore we take up the areu-
[ent Of those whom it is possible to con-
I ~. to the Prohibition cause.
e. r;rst n-"Prohibition can not be en-
o1 n by legislation in any community
shsre the majority sentiment is opposed to
=" At first glance, the reader who is not
!. a Prohibitionist will be inclined to
s A TO this. And in very general
snse. it is true. But like most general
,ropositions, the more closely it is e1amin-
l. the more difficulty the thinking man
ill have in accepting it as a valid argu-
,snt against Prohibition effort.
Is a law wrong, when it can not be en-
creed in certain communities because the
,aiority of public sentiment is not in favor
FTP By no means. This is no argument
oainst the law and the principle underly-
20 it. The argument, it will be noted,
oes not hold against local option, which
ives each community the right Of doing rs
~ majority of its voters shall see fit about
lis matter of prohibition. What objection
NJ our Western friend bring to bea,
rainst prohibition by the local option plan:
The temperance sentiment has been slow
growing during the past century. Its
rowth still continues, and is more rapid as
le masses of the people advance in civiliza-
on. Ignorance and vice are the promot.
IS of intemperance; intelligence and vir-
,e are the parents OF prohibition. The
,uorant masses, in regard to the State
and in the came relation Us children dc
!, their parents. The child, in his ignor-
nee of results, would drink from vial Of
olson, were it not kept carefully beyond
is reach by the parent. Why shall not the
tate take as much care of its youth, and
eep the rum poison out of their way, sc
II as it is possible?
Again: II prohibition cannot be enforced
any community where the majority SEN
ment is opposed to it, is it not a crying
liustice to therefore allow the unchecked
lie of rum in communities where the ma.
,rity sentiment is against it? Because,
erchance, the majority sentiment" OF
hicago does not approve of prohibition, is
not piece of rank oppression, a burn
ag wrong that cries in vain for justice, tc
eny prohibition to half the counties OF
Illinois, which would, had they the oppor-
unity to vote on the question, give decided
najorities for o stringent prohibitory lawi
+ the State is to be made the unit, let the
eople of the entire State voice their senti-
ents by vote on the subject. If prohi.
tion fails, then let every man who believes
it go to work to convert the ignorant and
e careless from the error of their ways
prohibition carries, let it be enforced
It only in the moral communities but il
e cities. Cannot a great State compel
spect for her statutes? It is pitiful plea.
towards excuse, that law cannot be en-.
reed unless q majority sentiment of q
ven community is in favor of it. In
w many communities is rum now sold
lere only minority really favor that
lie?
This brings us to the second proposition
the extract given at the beginning OF
is article-that "the world will have tc
ter upon its millennial period before
can prohibit" The world will
I've to enter upon its millennial period be.
re men cease to murder. The millen-
UNI will dawn before men cease to rot
ID steal. The world will have entered
ION the millennium before brutal mer
i'll cease from outraging helpless women.
o one disputes it. But shall We, then.
I'VE no laws against murder? Shall We
Vt attempt to prohibit theft and robbery
hall we pass no laws forbidding outraged
hall We not attempt to throttle the fiend
IN, the breeder of vice, the promoter Of
ime, the most potent cause of insanity
I'd idiocy, the great source of misery ano
overty and suffering? If crime will mo-
ase until the millennium dawns. why at.
mpt to pass laws for their punishment?
This argument, that prohibition cannot
enforced until the millennium dawns, ii
} argument at all. 1t no law is to b.
.ssed unless it will have no violators, the1
ere is not one law upon the statute book
DIVIDING punishment for any violation
good order but should be repealed
here have been laws against fornicatio1
'er since men lived in civilized commune
es; yet there is no city in the land where
e scarlet woman" does not ply her trade
and it will be so to the latest syllable o
corded time. Who will say that the law
l that subject are failures" that the!
lould be repealed? Every land has its Law
,ainst murder; vet mans hand is raiset
,.inst his brother day after day, in spit
these laws. Shall there, therefore, be nj
atute against the shedding of blood? Eve
nee man began to accumulate propert.
ere have been laws against theft and burg
ry and highway robbery; yet every cit!
As whole classes of people who ar
aown to be thieves, and confidence men
i'd swindlers, and burglars-men Wit
ever earned an honest penny i'll their lives
from their cradles. Shall we
zen, repeal all laws against these crimes
ecause they are insufficient to extirpat
lem?
We shall never see perfect state of SO
ETY. until the millennial era; yet it does NO
blow that we are to sit with folded hands
nd make no effort to. stay the tide of Grim
nd vice, and the suffering resulting there