The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-06-29
PROHIBITION.
The Constitutional Amendment
In Mass achusetts Sustained a

The Constitutional Amendment
in Massachusetts Sustained
Crushing Defeat.
The effort to inaugurate Constitution
al prohibition in Massachusetts, has
sustained crushing defeat. The ad-
verse majority is little less than the
highest estimate made In advance Oh
tho opponents of the a'uenemeht.
Many conservative persons had rredic-
ted a majority of Is, 900. Tho most
sauguine of its opponents hoped for
$4,000. The majority exceeds HOOD
on light vote-a defeat so emphatic
that 1t seems to have completely dis
concerted the prohibitionists. The
fehtriess ei the vote is in itself sur
prise, following campaign of oxtraor-
binary earnestness. 1t would seem TO
prove that large number refrained
from voting who could not support tho
amendfdent and yet were unwilling 10
oppose it openly.
A significant feature of sSe canvass
| was that many fought tle amendments
who, nevertheless, were ON record as
| favoring prohibition in their own
localities. The great majority Oh
these doubtless disapproved it beca*'s....
they believed universal prohibition tJ
be an impossibiiity, and not because
they were opposed TO that policy under
| conditions where they thought 1t could
be made successful. This fact is strik-
ingly shown in the returns. For en-
ample, Cambridge, which voted pro-:
| hibition for itself under the local-Op-
ton law not long ago by 4,4S9 TO 3,SlJr
voted against prohibition for the state
by 1921 to 1888. In other words,
| nearly 1900 voters in the university
town who voted no license did not vote
for constitutional prohibition. Pre-
clsely the same result was seen In u
number of other cities, which lately
| voted no license and now vote against
prohibition. Almost every city in the
| state voted no-and only one congCes-
| sional district out of twelve voted Yes.
The strength OF the opposition was not
| seen only in the cities, but in many
small towns and rural districts ;ls we'll.
| The adverse majority was one-tifth OF
the total vote. This result is the moro
| significant when it is remembered that
|
has been confined to the newspapers.
/ It's advocates have held hundreds OF
meetings, but not one has been called
by the opposition. It is also TO be
borne in mind that the verdict cannot
be charged to the rum power. a.
large proportion of the opposition
| came from the most intelligent and
moral classes in the state, including
those who believe in high license, as
well as those who believe in local bui
not general prohibition.
This unexpectedly decisive vote, fol-
lowing tho defeat of the prohibitions
amendment in New-Hampshire, and
the vote TO rcsubmit 1t in Rhode Is
land, mus be taken us increased eyl-'
dencc that the policy OF general pro-
hibition is losing ground in New-Eng-
land. In Hampshire, although
law prohibiting the sale OF liquor has
been on tho statute-book' more than
thirty -four years, an amendment to the
constitution TO forbid its manufacture
as we'll as sale not only failed TO secure
the requisite majority, as New-Hamp-
shire majorities go. In Rhode Island
the vote to resubmit, after three years
trial of the system lis an even moro
positive reverse.
Massachusetts is the seventh state TO
refuse in the last two years to adopt
prohibition amendment. following
Michigan, Texas, Tennessee, Oregon,
West Virginia and New-Hampshire.
The next to be heard from is the great
state of Pennsylvania, which will vote
on the 18th day of June. At the time
the date of the special election was first
fixed predictions were rife that the
amendment would be adopted. but IS / !
apparent that the tide of expectation
has turned, and its defeat is now looked
for. Sixteen years ago forty OF the
sixty-four counties voted against
license, and twenty-four for 1.-THE
latter, however, including the large
cities which are expected to record a
heavy verdict now against the amend
ment. In Pennsylvania, as in Massa-
chusetts, the amendment will be
opposed by large body of temperance
men, because they believe it does not
embody the best method OF dealing
with the liquor problem. The great
reduction in the number OF saloons
and the diminution of crime, under the
Brooks high-license law, will make
many unwilling to exchange tried
, and successful system for an expert
{ ment of doubtful issue. York
| Tribune.