The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1889-08-02

such men even in these days when poll.
tics seeks to absorb, use and control all
questions, social, religious and moral,
as we'll as political. They have learned
that awful damage may be done in the
mistaken effort to advance 8 worthy
object, that this thing OF converting men
by force of arms is OF no more ERECT Q
than in Charlemagne's day, and that 1t
engenders antagonisms inc hate rather
than fraternity and love:
But what does the ordinary politician
care for the moral aspect Of the ques-
ton? Let the tide Of intemperance
sweep over the land like a tidal wave,
so that it but carries him and his TACT
ion into power. 1t was ever so. At no
time in the worlds history has any
great moral revolution swept over the
people but that certain wreckers n
buccaneers were putting out from shore
to gather up wreckage, plumber the dead
md steal from the dying. OF all desplc-
able characters, the most so are these
rihers OF the wounded or dead OF both
armies after the battle is over. Hyenas
are they with all the cowardl.y n cove,
tous instincts OF that most loathsome OF
beasts. The man who suddenly becom-
IS anxious about his ~neighbors' habits
I when there is to be a prohibition ticket
| in the field, but who would never turn to
| save him from drowning in the gutter,
| otherwise is meaner than Il camp
follower.
Ranting fanatics do damage to the
| cause they hope to lead. Exaggerated
| Statements react. Lies colne home to
roost. 1t is untrue that intcmperance
| is increasing in the world orour country.
1t is bad enough without lying ABOUT
it. The fact is that drinking is nothing
likeso general as it once was-ln CITY OF
country. 1t once affected no gentle
mans standing. Now no gentleman
cares to be known as an habltual drunk
ard. He apologies, not to the church
ciety, if he has accidentally slipped No
family prestige, no name OF long descent,
no amount OF bonds, no position IN
church or state, will protect q man now
from the consequences OF habltual
drunkenness. This az not always 50.
Once even the church winkcd at a certain
amount OF drunkenness and society en-
rouraged it. Temperance which recog-
nizes the use OF light wines and sherry ls
advancing everywhere, and the day Will
certainly come when the rantlng apos-
ties of prohibition will be as powerless
as the Homoiousians OF the fourth
century.
The above article appears in last
Saturdays Republican, and while IHE
lUN1oN dosn't pose as a prohibition
organ, it thinks it proper to comment
at some length on the statements there
IN set forth. Why is 1T necessary te
compel the dealer in Intoxicating liquors
to take out a license and give a bono
i, for the proper conduct Of his business
. When a man embarks in the grocer,
' business he isn't compelled to subjec
I himself to any Of these expenses AM
J. annoyances. If he sells clothing or Or,
E goods he does SO unquestioned. ii
u may sell his wares to the boy or girl c
y tender years, or dispose OF them to tn
Z tottering grandsire, without having tn
u grand Jury inquire after the transaction
There was a time when liquors was ais
4 free. Evidently people came to the cor
clusion that this particular line OF bus
, ness needed looking after more than an,
; other. The scheme OF making the ven
der pay a license was talked up ant
then the objections began to pour in. L
was declared by the advocates OF free
whiskey to be unconstitutional, for the
| reason that it was lass legislation, an
u~nwarrantcd interference with the pri-
waite concerns of men. Men declared
that it could never be enforced, that it
would be a dead letter on the statute
books OF such states as might adopt 1T.
No greater outcry can ever be made
! against CONSTITUTIONAL prohibition than
\ was made against Incense, and the IrS
came rom the same element-thc hQuo:
men. Now they say give us high license
=. What was once denounced as the mos
'. stupendous abrigement Of rights eve
. known is now clamored for as d RICH
- Why? Simply because it is the onl
y possible show there is left. The liceni
can be and is shifted onto the shoulde:
:" Of the consumer SO the vender docsn
" care. Prohibition takes the profit /
III out OF the traffic and makes the bus
ness a crime. What about throwing Il
ce traffic into the hands OF dishonora'
" men? 1t means we presume mon vi
would violate the law, by selling % mi
ST. ors and habitual ~drhhkards, Ike
All open on Sunday az utter eleven o'clo
NJ at night. Doc, anyone remember al
In prosecution, that have ever been beg
and carri. d through for selling liquors
'r, minor and drunkards in Rapid City,
" for failure to comply with the law as
" keeping open Oh Sunday or at nigh
~ Oh no. Yet such laws have been in c
LIZ ~istance for a great many years and
every day they are violated. Cou
they be disregarded any more if t
he traffic were prohibited? The stateme
that the prohibition question is settl
Ae by the refusal OF several states to ado
ns it is foolish, and Is contradicted befc
'es the close OF the article when the writ
says that Temperance, which rece
nizes the use OF light wines and sherry
advancing everywhere" Yes, temp
Ne ance is advancing everywhere, and
re isn't the kind OF temperance that uses
ne endorses the use OF sherry and Zig
~ wines. 1t is a we'll recognized fact tn
.u' men don't use saw logs for kindli
wood, quite Is well is it understood
that an appetite for liquors is not kint
ed with corn or rye whisky. The alch
y that breeds the appetite is contained
d. light wines, and the temperance peoI
ne are doing their best to get them out
the way. The applications "cranl