Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-08-22
FOR PERSONAL LIBERTY
Pronunciamento of the Defenders of
the Liquor Traffic.
THE AUTHORIZATION DOCTRINE.
Action of the Convention at Madison
"A Member of the Legislature
Denounced as q Fanatic-A
Warning to Prohibi-
ton Politicians.

MADISON, Wis, Aug. 16.-The Wiscon-
sin state Prohibition convention
met at o'clock this morning. The re-
cording secretary made his report. In
it he denounced James S. Grinde, of
Dane County, for introducing in the last
Legislature local option law. The
secretary gloried in the defeat of that
measure. He said that now The Anti
Prohibition Association was fully pre-
pared to meet the fanatics who aimed
to injure the liquor business. He said
the society should accomplish the de-
feat of every politician who was in favor
of fighting the liquor business and that
the society was working solely in self
defense.
Col. S. c. Ellsworth, the state agent,
made his report. He said that during
the past year he visited 116 towns and
secured S9S members for the society.
In IA places he got no names. He said
there were over 5000 people engaged in
the liquor traffic in Wisconsin and he
urged that all of them respond iber-
ally with funds to aid the society in its
work. He complimented the conven-
ton on its fine appearance and insisted
that its cause was moral one.
Thomas F. Sollan, the other state
agent of the society, also reported. He
said he had secured 300 renewals of
members during the past year and had
secured 6O6 new members. He was
proud to say that he himself had been
liquor dealer for seven years. He said
the Prohibitionists were iniuring the
liquor cause by inducing the best
men to desert it, thus leaving the dis
reputable element. Sollan said that
while he was member of the Assem-
Society of fifty-six members was organ
lied, and that through their efforts
every bill obnoxious to the liquor in
terests was killed.
The committee on resolutions then
reported as follows:
WHEREAS, Our government was founded upon
the equality of all its citizens and liberty Is not
rights which are not founded upon justice. its
most precious boon is personal liberty and its
great glory Is the dissemination OF that liberty
among its citizens; and believing In wise and
Just restraint aud
WHEREAS, The Prohibitionists have assumed
attitude threatening that it becomes the
duty OF al nberty-loving citizens to oppose
them, as being harmful to public interests and
reprehensible, therefore, the anti Prohibition
Association of Wisconsin, in convention assem-
bled, at the city of Madison, hereby declares
1. That all sumptuary and prohibtory laws
restricting the liquor traffic are unpatriotic
tyrannfca unjust, immoral, pernicious and
fanatical. Unpatriotc and tyrsnnical because
aimed at the fundamental principle of our gov
eminent. Unjust because designed to destroy the
happiness and we'll being of the ma
ioritv, without benefit to the minority Inn
moral, because they create law-breakers; drive
business into vicious places and vicious hands,
aggravste drunkenness by encouraging the use
of impure articles In spirits and supplant the
liquor industries by the compromising shops and
drug stores. and encouraging secret drinking.
,51r hcnor how Cd RI do tnY1G
of dollars invested in agriculture and manufac-
lures and to throw out of employment thousands
OF our laboring classes Fanattcal because.they
are futile attempt to protect dtunkard against
himself, and at the expense OF those who use
without abuse and do tiud enjoym 9nt and Iecre-
alton, as well as health and comfort in the law
tul and moderate use of stimulating drinks.
2. That drunkenness is condemnabe vice, az
Is any evil arising from the abuse of LIQUOR and
we deplore the same with all good citizens. We
respect temperance in the Use OF alcoholic
drinks, the prevention OF excuses by moral
suasion, the total abstinence of all who not
without abusing and all VINO feel it to be to
their best interests to abstain. We cheerfuly
and willingly grant personal liberty ami only
ask the same in return. We despse alike drunk
enness and w-breaking on the one side and
fsnatical prohibition on the other. We favor
the lawful sale of pure liquors as against the sale
and smuggling of vile compounds, which always
and everywhere exists in prohibition states
counties and towns. We favor saloon respect
ability and the enforcement of all just laws re-
stricting them as against the loose demoraliza-
8. That prohibition is failure: that the sale
of liquor is not criminal, or immoral per Sc;
that the thereof is one of the personal rights
Of citizenship that prohibition takes away from
the citizen his responsibility well as his priv
ileges, and is therefore wrong-wrong in any
state, county, town, city, or village. We declare
county option and local option laws to be
sumptuary, unjust and harmful to public inter-
est.
4 That the liquor traffic Is honorable and
legitimate, That we do not oppose moderate
and reasonable license fees, but nevertheless
protest against exorbtant license, because of its
centralizing and monopolizing effects; throwing
persons out OF business by taxation or taxing
business out of existence is bad In effect as il
accomplished in any other way. We hold that
high license brings to the liquor business venture
some speculative and gambling classes and ex-
pels the honest dealer whose less financial sue.
cess Is due to his smaller profits, his better quaf
ity of goods, his regular hours and his obedience
20 law, while wealthy and less honest compel
itor can buy his rights to remain In business.
Prohibition and high license are means to the
same end with only different method of bringing
about like results, We maintain that respect
ability and moral character and not wealth
should be the basis for obtaining license.
s. That we do not desire to be drawn into
politics az an organization, but will be CON-
PEELED to protect our business and our homes by
condemning any political party and its leaders
who court fauaticism and who daily with the
principles of personal liberty and call for the So
called Temperance vote" and who in
to achieve the same by promulgating ideas
against the principles of our cause by forcing
high license. county and local option or any
other sumptuary laws, as unworthy of the sup
port of all persons who believe in the principles
of personal liberty, and such party or person
will find prompt resentment and opposition
from this organization, as also we hope from all
liberty.loving citizens in the state. All
public officials who have manfully defended
our principles in the past both in ration and
state, also all publishers of newspapers who
published the resolutions OF our local branches
and who commented so favorably upon our work
will accept the unqualified thanks of this asso-
citation, and we trust that they may in future ex-
tend to us their valued support IN our efforts to
weed out the worse elements and bring our bust
ness to its proper standard among the business
interests of the country.
The resolutions were unanimously
adopted and the old officers all re-elect-
ed. The next convention is to be held