The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-11-13
PROHIBITION MUST GO.

While the tariff question had much to d.
with the defeat of the Republicans at the
recent election in Iowa, prohibition had
equally as much if not more to do with
bringing about the unexpected result. The
Republicans have allied themselves with
the prohibition cause in that state: not be-
cause Republicans are less given to intern
perance than the Democrats, nor because
the former are more moral in their conduct
or inclinations, but for the reason that the
party managers believed there were more
votes for them in posing on the side of pro-
hibition than there would be if they took
the opposite position. The very religious
people were to be taken in, as were the
temperance fanatics who cared less about
intemperance than they did about the fact
that the law sanctions the sale of intoxi-
cants. 1t was votes, and not higher state
of public morals which the Republicans
schemed to secure.
In the campaign which resulted in the
adoption of the prohibitory amendment to
to the state constitution the Democrats did
not favor free and unlimited traffic in
liquor; on the contrary, they declared
lutulStlNGS do duN ONdbCo VI lCul DCIduCt.
They said that prohibition had been a fail
ure wherever tried, and would be failure
so long as any considerable percentage of
the community were inclined to drink; in
fact, that prohibition could not be enforced,
and it was a species of humbuggery to put
it in the laws and say that the statutes
having forbid the manufacture and sale of
intoxicants they were not manufactured
or sold in the state, and that as a conse-
quence there was no intemperance in Iowa,
thou: h the LoiCe court records showed
there was just as much drunkenness and
Just as much crime resulting from drinking
as when traffic in spirits was not forbidden.
Experience and observation had taught
the Democrats that the liquor business
could be brought under better con-
troll by high license; that no more
liquor would be consumed, that drunk
eNsess would be no more common,
and that, what is of Importance in
community, those who drink would be
compelled to bear the expense to which
they put the public by reason of their in
temperance. The Democrats were both
honest and correct in their position and
reasoning, and this being true the Repub-
icans were necessarily wrong.
The experiment of prohibition has been
tried again and has again failed; the eyes
of the people have been opened to the hum
bugyery practiced by the Republicans, and
to the futility of trying to accomplish the
impossible. The vote of last week was
a popular reputation of the doctrine of
prohibition. 1t was notice given by the
people that they are tired of continuing the
farce, AMI that they want the privilege of
revokiny the constitutional amendment
which they were foolish enough to adopt
without asking themselves in their coolness
and intelligence what would be the effect
of a prohibitory attempt II is only
question of time when the repeal of the
amendment will be submitted to the citi-
zens, and when it shall be submitted the
only question will be regarding the size of
the majority in favor of the repeal High
license will follow, and the liquor traffic of
Iowa will be under better control than it !
has been during the period since the adop-
ton of constitutional prohibition. The vain
attempt to enforce law against popular
sentiment will cease, and the Republican |
party will be punished for the fraud and
deceit which it has practiced on the people |
of Iowa.