The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-25
REMEDY FOR 1NrEMpERANoE.
Practical Advantages of the Plan of Local
Control in Treating the Traffic.

Practical Advantages of the Plan of Local
Control in Treating the Traffic.
Rev. j. A. Campbell, in Frankfort Banner.
Seeing the traffic and use of intoxicating
liquors is against the prosperity of the country.
government should restrain and prohibit it
far as it can properly do so. To do SO local
option is proposed. This is to give every county
or community the right by law to decide by
vote whether they will prohibit it not. There
is a principle running all through system of
government that the majority rules This is a.
fundament tai principle in repub lcan government.
You cannot separate the two. Wherever repub-
lcan government exists there the people have
bound themselves by the most solemn bonds to
abide by this principle This is the principle
that had best be applied to the temperance
question in the present conditions Let every
county decide for itself But one says "Tll
never vote to shove this traffic over on my
brother in the adjoining county" Your vote
has nothing TO do with the conditions in an ad-
joining county The question is whether not
your vote will help drive the traffic out of your
own county. All ocal-optionists would vote
suppress 1t. They generally ommon-sense
temperance people They want TO Danish the
it from every inch in State that
they can, and have the majority In every
community to sustain them, and there would be
unenforced laws the statute books but
Prohibitionsts would let each county suffer the
evil of the business if all the State would not
Danish it; would saddle the whole saloon traffic,
with all its evils on county because the
joritY in the State against prohi bition, al
though many counties wanted, by majority. to
De Tree from IT, observe Ll&L all true p0raECo
men want prohibition in the State as soon as pub
lie opinion shown by majority in every county
sustains it, but they do not want State law on
the statute books. while every here and there
county or community ignores it because major
ty is opposed 10 1t. They do not want any more
dead laws. 1t brings shame TO the State. Wher-
ever the majority is in favor of the saloon sys-
tenn they want to use moral influences till the
majority is changed.
Let US look at the advantages of this way: L
1t is in harmony with the majority. Many per-
hat Osad TO uro-
hibition in tho State Consttution in favor
of local option. All true temperance people
in favor of it. and many others are; public opin-
ion seems to be fast eentering this plan, IL il
most feasible.
It preserves plainly the principle of the
Jorlty rule IN our government, and at least
partly prohibits the traffic. This is very inn
portant where it is so hard to execute the tenn
perance laws. Il requires the enforcement of
So it is easily enforced and wherever the traffic
is permitted by vote. there temperance people
press their arguments more than ever
It will Immediately deliver many county
from the liquor traffic that might be cursed long,
If not forever. by It The county would be en-
Joying IT'S delivrrance and the fact that the ma
Jorlty. and hence public opinion. was with them,
and this would give it IMPULSE in other places.
Is preserves from thu evils of the thlrd party.
No States has been delivered from the traffic by
fhe third party, and. peFhans. State ever will
be The Republican party has tried TO get a To-
cal option law. and wants TO do so ii the people
will give il the power. The very suggestion to
break up the old parties Awakens the 6ercest
opposition. Local-optionists have been heard 10
say that they would their party smothered.
rather than give = vote 20 the third party,