Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-06-27

Such a vote. under all the circumstan-
ceS, is even more remarkable than the ire
mendOuS majority against Constitutional
Prohibition in Pennsylvania. Taken in
connection with the recent votes in Mas
sachuSettS and New Hampshire against
Constitutional Prohibition, it proves that
the second, sober thought "of New
England is against incorporating legis-
latiOn in State Constitutions. Consti-
tutiOns are not made for such purposes,
and they can not be used in that way
without bringing our system of govern
ment under written Constitutions into
efficiency and trouble "In most of the
pOpulOus States of the East" says the
Boston Journal, "the people are not
ready to engraft prohibition upon the
Constitutions of the States. There has
been a great and steady advance i'll anti
saloon sentiment, and an increased read
ineSS to adopt any practical measures for
the restriction of the evils which flow from
the liquor traffic. But public sentiment,
even in States where the anti-salOOn SEN
timent is strongest, is not ripe for COnsti-
tutiOnal Prohibition"
In Texas the movement for COnStitu-
| tiOnal Prohibition wrought the most un-
| fortunate results, for, whereas four years
ago the State was decidedly and strongly
| against /" the saloon" the attempt to en-
graft what is properly a law on the Con-
| stitutiOn was rebuked by 92,661 adverse
majority. and Constitutional Prohibition
| has been a dead issue in Texas ever since,
| impossible of resurrection.
Meanwhile, in all parts of the country
the temperance movements that are prac-
tical and in accordance with the genius
and theory of our institutions are gaining
! fresh vigOr and impetus every day. "LO-
| cal Option" whether exercised by cOun-
| ties or by towns and cities, has been the
most successful of all the many expert
mentS of reducing the evils of the liquor
| traffic, but the great mass of the intelli-
gent, conscientious, practical temperance
men and women of the land are more
| thoroughly than ever before aroused as
to the vital Importance of all measures for
| the restriction or prohibition of the liquor
traffic that are most likely to be effectual,
and are less and less inclined to be bull
dOZed by those Third Party Prohibition
lists who are clothed with curses as with
a garment" when they sit in judgment on
those who believe that all movements for
the gradual mitigation and final abate-
ment of the liquor traffic that have in
them any promise or pOtency for good
should be encouraged, and that legisla-
ton, unsupported by public sentiment, is
a dire evil in itself and source of evils
| innumerable.
The General Association of the COngre
gatiOnal Churches of Massachusetts has
just expressed the prevailing local senti-
ment of that strong denomination when
it adopted the report on intemperance
which stated the great fact that 1--WE
have laws enough on the statute book to
drive liquor from the State if the men of
Massachusetts would enforce the laws on
the statute book"
And the association resolved that the
cause of temperance is to be promoted
"by cOnSecrated home, converted
press, courageous pulpit and the energy
of God in the Christian Church; not new
land, not new work, but new vigOr in the
old lines, more steam, more pluck, more
faith: keep right on and God give the vic
tory"