Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-04-07
Rev. 5. E. Jones ON Prohibition.

70 ne Eta0r Of ne Register:
SIR:-It is evident that the argument in
opposition 70 constitutional prohibition in
this State is to take . very wide range aud
viii bring out some startling facts (E). 4
few days sgo your paper contained an ex-
tract from a Chicago pIper and also an ed
itorial, in which il was clsimel that the
recent decision of the Supreme Court gives
the right to any person 70 import liquors
and sell them IN unbroken packages indie
pendtn tly Of auy State cOltrol except,
perhaps, a tax upon the Business. II any
thing Of this kind should be found to be
true, il will seriously affect a great many
other things a. well as prohibition. About
the time he above appeared many minis
ters in this city received pamphlets,
mailed heJe, IA which 1t was at
tempted TO demonstrate th,t prohibitory
LAWS result il decrease Of population, in
cresseo of pauperism and general destruction
OF prosperity. Then, q day OF two ago, 3
letter appeared IN your paper sigGed y
which seemed Of first to be written 10 the
Interests Of moral education, but which
towards the last showed its real purpose
by an attempt TO show from official figures
that Total abstinence'' from intoxicating
beverages is very likely to lead its victims
into crime and the penitentiary. II is now
in order to show that employers are mis-
taken in selecting sober men for responsible
positions and that solid business can be
reached only by frequent and regular visits
70 the saloons. OF course II counts for
nothing that the great multitude Of intelli-
gent. sober, GOd-gearing and m~an-loylng
Deop'e Of this ana other countries have
come II conclusions directly opposite TO
those which the advocates Of the liquor
traffic claim to hGye established. No, gen
rlemeu, you are too late. The time b"S
passed when the use of intoxicating beyer-
sges can be successfully defended. The
imperative growing demand for tRe
restriction and abolition Of tho traffic 10
intoxicating beverages that exists TO day Il
based upon % btsLigsHt cOHrtctioH
that they are in a high degree
ininical to tie bssi interests Of the q
yidual and Of society. fhN great temper
auce movement is not merely Z aentiClen-
tai impulse OF a popular ~"craze," but has
is foundations in M enlightened con-
science. There was = time when persons
generally used intoxicating drinks because
their nature and sItects were not under
stood. Many are doing this now, while
many Others are shining against light,
preterirg the qualification OF a deoased
appetite 20 that freedom which the truth
of, n them. But this temperance tide
will not ebb. Society Is steadily and per-
sistsntly striving To hscmou,ze It's instltu-
tons to facts which science, experience
and conscience have established In respect
10 the effects of intoxicating beverages and
there is no resting place outside OF Prohi-
bitiOn.
A few words on High License, which Is
commended in your issue OF this morning,
II is very doubtful if merely increasing
| the license fee decreases the liquor trstnc
at all. You do not decrease the traffic by
| merely decreasing tie number Of saloons.
In many places the saloon keep
ers are in favor Of high license
| Mr.. Isler, the great liquor magnate
ia reported TO have said: High license
has not hurt our business. bu. On the con
trory has been q great benefit to it. / be
/ lieye il is one Of the gJandest laws for the
! liquor traffic and tor men interested.
Another evidence Of q hourishing liquor
busiuess uudsS high Gcsase is the large
amoUnt of revenue that tn the
State by il. This is claimed 20 be IN lts
favor, but is really a powerful argument
| against il. A business which yields IN
| some States millions Of dollars revenue In
N, way Of l;cence iees cannot be all to be
restricted very much.
Again. a high license law is ~ difficult
to enforce Is aprohibitory law. The temp
tatiou 10 sell without license is as great IN
o1e case rs in the other, and the chances
of detection are much greater under prohi-
bition.
But the great objection to high license
IA that il does no. meet the demands OF an
enlightened conscience. That demand Is
for no saloons, and it clnnot be ssttsh.d
by a hribe in the shape Of a license
lee. The saloon is regarded rs
a Nuisance to he abated and not y business
, to be taxed. This is the position taken by
| the Methodist Episcopal Church as declared
! IN its Book Of Disciples, which sage: We
! are unaltersbly opposed to the enactment
of laws that propose by license, taxing or
otherwise, to regulate the drink traffic, be-
cause they provide for its continuance and
afford no protection against its raysges.
We hold that the proper attitude OF Chris
tians towards this traffic is one Of uneom-
/ promising opposition" The wisdom and
/ %nropriety OF this sentiment will, 1 believe,
be endorsed By the people Of this State next
November. SAML. ERNEST JONES.
Wheeling, ". Va, April 8 1888.