Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-10-12


OF law; there is what is known as the ACC OF the
people, that is, action by election. When tue
supreme Court of the United States. says the
public morals and public health, it means moth
ing ut all, or else 1t means that the people eau
not 90 that by an election OF any kind. They
could not do it by voting an amendment to the
Constitution thcy cannot do it by u local option
measure. The point make is thnt it ut a local
option election under the law they should favor
license, any man, notwithstanding that law and
thai election, might enjon the issuing of license
standing OH a great fundamental principle and
prevent 1t, for the law and the action laken upon
1t would be absolu tely void.
1 know they make some apologies for Gen.
Hoyey, that some things he did were done
when ne was Delnocral. And they ask that
wht II he was Demo. rau, and it is supposed
that when he did TINT in the years of his young
and vigorous manhood hs Ind conscience enough
eence enough to understand what would be
right. l Gull your attention to some ubsurd
things on this matter of locul option. Years
ago several STATES called elections. Ihey were
duly announced, election boards We're provided,
places of voting wero arranged, duo notice
given Of the time. The citizens of those States
places. and in some cases, by u unanimous
vote OF the State and by the unanimous action
OF the Legislature based upon it, they
Union; yet we sent the forces Of the United
States down INTO those States to force them
back into tho Union. What did tie u1lnnilnou.
OF her Legislature amount to, when IL proposed
to do wrong thing-a thing against the welfArc
OF the common go> ernment! 1t was an abso-
unanimous vote. by the unanimous action OF
her Legislature. cannot give such an expression
as would be valid, then what Gun u mere town.
ship, Il ward or a precinct do towards establish
ing TN evil institution or system that shall bind
the whole community.
We have Metropolitan Police system in this
city of Ind annapolis. Under that system you
citizens OF Indianapolis and myself have not one
word to ~ as to w.o shall be the policeman in
our ward. The Governor and State offic rs Sc
lect the Police Board und tn Police Board Sc
lects the policemen. Two years ago 1 inter-
viewed the leading Republican statesmen ard
they thought of the Metropolitan Police system
1t was q Democratic measure when passed, but
universally adopted by all men now, SO far as
know at least there is no demand for It's repeal.
These men every one, without exception,
Endorsed the Metropolitan Police system, and
when asked them for their reason they said
that it was preferable to selecting our Police
Board ut an election. because ii an election
should be ca led for such u purpose the liquor
interest and the saloon influence of Indianapolis
would be great that it would co atrol the cleo
ton and give us O Police -oard that wou d turn
u mob loose i'll indianapolis. Now, my friends,
while indor e the Meurop Titan sys EN-, which
is the law u,der which Ohio should govern in
cinnati, Illinois sh uld govern Chicago New
York State New York City, and Indiana should
govern Indianapolis I indorse l., 1 ask
upon what theory any man can favor system
which prevents the people of the city of Indian
apolis at au election from selecting their own
pOa nee government because of the danger and in
huence of the liquor traffic, vet after that re-
fusal, would favor a system requiring the same
people, subject to the dangerous inf ence re-
ferred to, to determine whether license to
sell liquor shall otsshall not be granted in our
city? If we cannot control our city by selecting
our own police government, how shall we be
able to act with safety on the question whether
license shall or shall not be issued in our city?
It is not question for the determination of
any nor every locality; it never was in any
government and never can be In q government.
The state must control every locality on q uni
tion That is the theory OF our Government,
and must be OF all governments that are on q
sound basis. If there is a bad locality, so much
the greater reason why it should not be allowed
its own evil way.
A local option law is license law, and
license authorizes. know some men say-and
that viii be discussed in this campaign-that
license does not authorize. speak of that just
a moment. Here is a blank copy of a liquor
license issued by our own county. 1t reads this
way state Of Indiana, Marion County. Retail
Liquor Dealers License. To AL Whom 1t May
Concern" WE'LL 1t concerns me, and will
take notice. Does it not concern you? And
what is the matter in Indiana is that there are
too many people whom it does not concern. It
is your concern and mine, and to us it is I'D
dressed .To ALI Whom 1t May Concern" II
there is. man SO dead that he feels no con-
| Germ, then he is not add. essed. proceed {:
This certifes that license has been grant,
| ed by the Board of Commissioners of
year from the day Of IS to sell spirituous,
vinous and malt hqnors in less quantities than
| quart at time, with the privilege of allowing
the same to be drunk at the place where sold; J"
! and goes on describing the place of business.
The first section Of our statute this subject is
It enaeted by the General Assembly Of the State
| Of Indiana That it shall be unlawful for any
person to sell, barter or give away any spiritu-
tnan a quart without first having obtained o
license under the provisions of this law. :"
No man can sell without q license. With q
| Without this document. with that docu.
| ment he open his saloon. Then what
| does that document do for him? He cannot do
| it. Then that is his lawful authority for doing
| business It is on the same theory that man
| is commissioned in Indiana 1T is on the same
kind 81 authority issued by the United States
| Government, put himself at the head of our
| national troops, commissioned with the author
! ity to do given thing. License does authorize.
That is what it assumes to do 1t either does it
| or does nothing. You cnnnot do without it; you
| can do with it. Then that is your authority for
| pursuing that awful business
hear prominent Republicans saying that If
| that parity succeeds and elects its candidates
| for Supreme judges, local option will be held
constitutional. That is IN alarming statement.
1t contenplates court ready and willing tore
| gard party platform as q precedent i'll deciding
| a question of law rather than those great fun
| dalnental principles and rules established by
| long experience and profound learning. Such
!! talk contamplates another bred Scott decision.
| Now they say it ought not to be made a
| national ISSUE But right here in Indiana are
| brewers and distiilers a number of them. These
| distilers and brewers do not do business by any
| authority of the State of Indiana. The National
| Government issues its authority to every dis
tiller to every brewer in our State. That is the
| reason why we ask the National Government to
| withdraw that authority, as it can also do in
those regions and Territories Where 70 he National
INV friends that tho license system ia the scarlet
thread that is the protection to these places o.
| business and when that is seen no harm car
come to that house. Horace Greeley il
1853, said "To sell rum for livelihood il
bad enough, but for a,whole nation to share the
responsibility and guilt OF such traffic seems t.
! me worse bargain than that Of Eve or Judas
| "To license is sin, says great document ISSUED
by the Bishops of the Methodist Church Ant
sthe wages of sin is death" says the highest au
thority known in this land death to a politica
party as to an individual. They tell me tina
the reason license and local option are prefera
BILE is because prohibitory law cannot be en-
| forced. This talk comes very largely from m!
Republican friends. say to such who are mere
! that either the prohibitory laws OF Maine an
Rhode Island and Kansas and Iowa are Well On
forced and have worked salutary results, OF els
| the whole Republican party in each OF tnos
| States is O common liar. For in each OF thos
States the Republican party, in it's State con
yentions, and by its Governors, and by Its h1g
| officers, has time and again reiterated the on
common testimony, and nothing to the con
YOU will excuse me if believe that the Repub
licans residing in those States where they hay
such a law know better than the brethren DO Il
| 1n1i0nq.