West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-09-28
LOCAL OPTION VS.. PROHIBITION.
From our issue of July s, 1887.

| From our issue OF july o, 1901 -.
local Option" means that each
county and each town shall decide
for itself whether to license the sale
of intoxicants. When public senti-
ment in any community reaches the
point at which majority is against
having barrooms, its local officers
will be elected upon pledge to re-
fuse license. This is the system in
force in Georgia and works admira-
bly,. 1t has lessened the use Of Ii
quor and closed the saloons even in
so large city as Atlanta. If this
system be let alone, other Georgia
cities will follow the example of At
lanta and, presently, public senti-
ment in other counties will attain
the healthy and desirable condition
that now prevails in the capital OF
that State.
What is said of Georgia applies
with equal force to West Virgins.
We have at present precisely the sys-
TEN that is producing such happy
results in Atlanta, In Georgia it is
called prohibition y in West Vir-
ginia, "local option" Of the "a
counties in our State, IA already re-
fuse license and there are many in
dications that public opinion, against
having barrooms, is rapidly growing
in the remaining counties. 1t is
probable that. should vote be taken
in Jefferson, majority here would
pronounce against granting license,
Experience demonstrates that tenn
perance is best promoted by treat
ing this matter as local issue to be
dealt with by each community acting
for itself Experience demonstrates
that when outside interference pro-
hibits barroms, before local public
opinion is ripe for closing them, the
cause of temperance is not advanced
but is retarded, and clandestine
drinking brings about greater evils
than could be attributed to licensed
saloons. We are able to speak from
facts within our personal observa.
ton. Several years ago, when the
temperance feeling in this county
was not strong enough to elect a
county court pledged to close the
barrooms, and when the Issue had
failed atthe polls, certain well-mean-
ing but over-zealous reformers pre-
vailed on the court to refuse license.
The result was that during the en-
suing IL months we had in Jefferson
more of that character Of drinking,
that does the greatest amount OF
harm, than was ever before known
in our history. The mistake was
made Of attempting to close the
barrooms before local public opin-
ion was ripe for closing them and
clandestine drinking planted Il crop
of drunkards that we would not
have had with licensed saloons.
The writer has sons upon the thresh-
old of manho1d;' they are at the very
age when clandestine drinking is
most to be feared and works the
most harm, and he does not intend,
If he can help it, to witness repe
tition of the mistake that was COM
mitted in this county some II years
ago.
The bars in Atlanta were closed
by vote of her own people; local
public sentiment was ripe for the
measure; a majority had so decided
and the minority submitted. But
if the bars had been closed against
the will of majority in that city;
if they had been closed, not by the
vote of Atlanta, but by vote taken
in other cities, the outcome would
have been very different from that
described in the editorial from the
| Constitution, printed elsewhere in
this paper.
We are as much in favor Of check
ing the use ofintoxicants as any one;
we are in favor of making the ques-
ton of License or NO License"
distinct issue in every election at
which town Councilmen and county
Commissioners are to be chosen, and
this paper, under its present man
agement, will always be found on the
side of temperance. In other words.
we are in favor ofLOCAL OPTION;