The Washington critic., 1888-10-06
AN InoN.cLAp LIouoR LAW.

The new liquor law in Iowa which
went into effect on the 1st of October
comes the nearest to an iron-clad stat
ute of any that has ever been enacted in
that State or any other. The retail
business had already been done away
with and the saloon become a thing Of
the past. The people Of Iowa had
never halted in their march to absolute
prohibition even ut the halfway house
of local option. Such thing as choice
in. the matter by the several counties of
the State had been inhibited by sweep
ing legislative enactments, making it a
felony to sell drink in any county on
any consideration.
Now comes u peremptory revocation
of all wholesale permits. Under the
previous condition of things it was in
the power Of the thirsty citizen to buy
his alcoholic beverages by the barrel or
key, or demiiohn, or gallon. lie can do
so no longer The sale of liquors is pro-
hibited as efTectually as it ever can be
prohibited, as long as liquors continue
to be manufactured.
To the druggists alone is left the priv
ilege, and this so hedged about with re-
strictions that most of them, it is said,
prefer to take out no license at all rather
than comply with the requirements Of
the law. The druggist who has a license
can sell alcohol for specified pharmaceu-
tical purposes and wine for sacramental
use-nothing more.
To answer a wink across his soda foun-
tain would not only cost him his license,
but subject him to heavy penalties. He
is placed under bonds to observe the law
and he is compelled TO keep record,
open for inspection, of every sale of liq-
uor he makes-the amount sold, the
name Of the purchaser and what the ar
ticle is wanted for
There are, no doubt, many people in
Iowa who are not Prohibitionists and
who do not believe in such stringent pro-
hibitory legislation, but the law is upon
the statute books and it must be assumed
that it accords with the dominant public
sentiment of the State. Else it wouldn't t
be there.
If public sentiment experiences reac-
tion the law will be repealed. But we
have little faith in the assurances of the
politicians that such q reaction is likely
to take place. There was never any re-
action in the anti-slavery sentiment of
the North. Its zeal amounted to fanati-
cism. 1t ran to lawless eXcesses at times.
1t was often predicted that it would over
reach itself and that the sober second
thought of the people would repudiate
and overwhelm it. But it never did.
Compromise proved an ignominious
failure and amidst the thunders of a
great civil war Emancipation triumphed.
And if we are not greatly mistaken it
will be 50 with the anti-liquor sentiment
OF the country. 1t has always shown
itself aggressive and progressive; it Is
never reactionary. 1t is all the while
making rapid and substantial gains, and
although we may never see the day when
the use Of alcoholic beverages will be
altogether dispensed with, it is more
than probable that within the next gen
Grafton the traffic in these beverages will
be constitutionally inhibited in most of
the States and on all Of the Federal res
crvations.
That prohibitory statutes are evaded-
that none Of them can be 50 framed as
not to permit Of violation-proyes moth
ing more than that the craving for drink
.oyermasters respect for the law, but the
very fact that such statutes can be passed
and put into operation and even partially
enforced, shows that the tide Of public
feeling is setting more and more strongly
against the turse Of intenperancc and iI
favor OF every means, no matter how
arbitrary or extreme, that can be de.
Ylsel loI rs suuDresslln.