The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-03-29
Our Social Problem.

Our Social Problem.
The old proverb that "Eternsl vigl.
lance is the price Of liberty" il just -
true at this time as at any time In the
past, or that is likely to arise At ahy
time in the future. In double sense Y
this true in our community at the pres.
ent time. We have growing sentiment
in reference to the temperance question.
That sentiment has resulted in the pass.
age Of an ordinance in its support.
The ordinance, which is the result Of
the sentiment, is very distasteful TO .
number of the people who have NO
share in the temperance reform, but
have an appetite dragging them In the
opposite direction. There is also an
other class Of our people who are oppos-
ed to any restriction Of this kind. They
are the people engaged in the traffic.
This being conceded, what may we ex.
pect as a result7 In common parlancs
a pooling Of effort to overcome both sen.
timent and ordinance. Nor should va
be surprised at this. Every reformatory
measure is sure to encounter more or
less resistance. In fact there is NO stat.
ute but has been violated. For the ne.
cessity Of placing law on the statute
books is clearly the result Of infringe.
ment on the rights of others, either BY
the individual, association or corpora
ton. So that great results from reform.
atory laws need not be expected
in a short time. All reforms are neces-
sarily slow. And when social custom
heavy with age is attacked no surprise
need be expressed or even INDUCED in If
the wheels Of progress refuse to advance
for time.
But in order that progress may be
made, what is the duty of the law abid.
ing citizen (for it is useless to speak OF
or to the citizen who is q law.breaker)? Z?
1t is certain that conference and counsel
be held as to the best methods to be
pursued SO that our laws may be honor.
ed and law-breakers punished. Unfor.
tunately for the best interests of this
community the prohibitory ordinance
has been dragged into politics. But the
effort has been made and with consider.
able success to make it a party issue,
And paradoxical as it may seem both
our leading parties have declared for the
same thing ("and me to prohib").
Now, in the face of this unity of dec.
laration and sentiment of large major
ity OF the electors of this community,
expressed little over year ago, how ia
the bitter party feeling existing in this
community at the present time? There
can be but one answer to the question,
and that is that the party lash has been
applied in very peculiar way on our
electors. Not to uphold the principles
OF either party, for that is professedly
the same. And yet; and vet men who
have unwavering confidence in their
fellowmen and neighbors, in times of
this kind pass each other ooldly by, or,
perchance glare at a neighbor. Is this
way of acting as citizens likely to be
productive Of good? There is an old
saying that when parties are very near
ly balanced that it is best for the coun.
try. The time may have been when
this was true, but in our time and in
Highland county, and more particularly
in the corporation Of Hillsboro, this is q
grand delusion. The methods to which
we resort in conducting campaign give
the lie to the blessing that might be ex-
pected from an almost even balance of
party. We have organization and or
ganization, committee and committee,
and rallying committee, clubs, leagues,
conventions, brass bands, professions,
illuminations and sky-rocket demonstra-
tions. And the latter is said to be nec-
essary to a certain class of voters. That
class of voters had better not be called
upon to decide question Of vital inter-
est to society.
The truism that in union there il
strength might be qualified in our own
day and time by saying intelligent
union. 1t is frequently said that the
darkest hour of night is just before the
dawning. And not a few OF the people
of this aud other communities are
anxiously looking for ray of light out
of the political darkness by which We
are surrounded. Politics may be spoken
of in sneering manner, as we speak Of
certain methods adopted by different
party organizations, but the politics OF
the intelligent voter should be pure.
When questions arise which have TO be
decided by the ballot, how necessary it
is that the voter should understand the
question which he is called upon to de-
eide. And it is imperatively necessary
to be recognized that no question or il.
sue will ever be settled until it is settled
right.
In the decision and carrying out of tho
provisions of the prohibitory ordinance
the people should never have allowed
themselves to be drawn into party poll
tics. 1t matters not which party prom
ises this or that. These reformatory
measures can never be established by
! party majorities, and it shows Q state OF
Y | mill 1f,,ls sOnn ~oSv 1f.1 Is-l