Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-06-13

The Prohibitlonists who hold that prohibi.
ton eau he enforced have vet to offer an expla-
nation of its failure In Rhode Island. In no
other state of the Union could Its chances Of
success bo more favorable than in this little
commonwealth, with its orderly and law-abid
Ing people. Sot IN no other where II has ever
been tried has II ever been SO wretchcd fail
urc. The police authorities OF the stnte have
abandoned their efforts to enforce II, declaring
that To do 50 Is simply waste of time and en-
ergy. No one who wants into icating liquors
has the slightest trouble In buying all that he
desires. In the city of Providence the number
Of saloons Is In proportion to the population
three times as many ns NOW carry ON business
In Philadelphia. There is no denial OF the fact
that IN that city there now exist upwards of nrc
hundred saloons which the police authorities
have been powcrcss to suppress.
II was ouly three years ago TINT II majority OF
tho people of Rhode Island expressed thsm-
selves In mSor Of prohibition through their
constitution, Within that time they have evil
IDENTIFY been convinced Of the error and folly Of
their course. They are now rs anxious to get
rid Of that amendment To the organic law as
they were eager originally to take II up. Their
last Legislature went through the constitutional
form OF ordering rcsubmSsion Of the question
Ia the people As IL is necessary there, Ms IL Is
In this state, for u second Legislature to eract
the same resolution, the voters had an opportti-
nifty To express their sentiments at the polls in
the election of Legislators, The result last Aprii
was llt thpl't pi n Legislature pledged bN an
overwhelming majority 10 submit the nin, nd
mcnt to the people. This Legislature has lust
begun It's session, and there Is abundant reason
for the belief that II Will name day for u Spc.
cial election ns early rs the terms of the conSti-
tuition will permit.
In the meantime the sale of Intoxicating
liquors win go on without restraint, ~ IL does
now, until prohibition has bcon taken ont Of
the constitution and n wise and wholesome
license law placed upon the statute book. Thus
II Is that the police authorities have become
powcrlcsS to enforce n law which n formidable
minority Of the people viii not sustain. whilc
the state has been deprived Of revenue IL
should have enjoyed, aud the organic law
brought into dorision and contempt. what en-
PLANTATION have tho friends OF prohibitory
amendment TO make In regard To these things
II any has been made, II has not yet come
under our notice, Yet they arc now cali
ing upon th" people Of Pennsylvania
state In which the difficulties OF en-
forcing prohibition would lie douby us great
as they have been In Rhode lsland-to set up
the same experiment, II experience, however
is worth anything aS warning, 1t would bc
well for every voter here who may still he In
doubt rs to the efficacy of such an amendment
To turn his attention to the state oI Roger vii
nams. Thorc is not the slightest doubt In the
mind Of any impartial ObScry er that the people
there ar" u good deal like the couples who marry
In haste and repent at leisure. and that they
will eagerly take advantage of the coming op-
purtuuity togct out of the prodlcamcnt in which
they have been placed. The first thing that
they will do Rs soon rs they are free again to
act viii he TO enact such u law rs We now have
in Pennsylvania on the subject Of tue liquor
traffic. As for prohibition, they have had
enough Of It To last them for at least one genera
tion. ltd