The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1889-12-07
HIGH LICENSE.


of the liquor question in this wise:
twenty-five snakes running through
the that's free whisky. Twen-
ty-6ve snakes gathered into box in
which twenty-five holes are made by
the authority of the court-that's low
license. Ten of the holes are closed
and the snakes all get through the
other ffteen-that's high license.
Drive oil the snakes over to the next
village-that is local option. Kill all
the snakes-shat is prohibition.
This is epigrammatic and witty, but
great questions like this cannot be set
tied Ly epigrams. If it be conceded
that all snakes ale deadly; that 1t Il
the duty of every body to kill every
make that can be found, and that al
Il e snakes can he killed, then thu
views of the Issue may he considered
as rising to the dignity of an argu
ment, but this is certainly asking too
much. Snake killing is not the only
legitimate occupation for the human
family, and some snakes are not only
harmless but useful.
In contradistinction to the ideas oi
the National Issue may be placed the
resolutions recently adopted at mass
meeting held under the auspices of the
Catholics in Baltimore. The meeting
was presided over by Cardinal Gibbolis,
and speeches were made by a number
Of the clergy and laity. 1t was re-
solved as the judgment of the meeting
that "high license is the only feasible
and peaceful means of exterminating
the deluge of vices and crimes OF which
drunkenness is the fruitful source. The
license should be put SO high as to
make it practically prohibitory as re-
CARDS the multitude of low saloons.
Certain restrictions should he enacted
as to the time and place Of sale. The
number of saloons in any one radius
should be limited by statue, and
should not be allowed near a church
school, and license should be given
only to persons Of tried character.
Whenever a question of ethics
arises no dlctum from an authoritative
source is possible. If any one believes
that the sale or use of alcohol in any
form as beverage is sinful, is morally
wrong, is crime, no one has any
right to question his convictions. He
must be, in principle at least, prohi-
bitionist of the straitest sect. But
when it comes to passing laws,
national, State or municipal, to deal
with that which he believes to be an
evil, then if he be fair minded and
candid man he must admit that there
may be an honest difference of opinion
as to remedies, whatever there may he
as to the main question of right or
wrong. Here, for instance, is body
of men, distinguished not only fer
piety and virtue, but for wisdom and
knowledge of affairs of the world, who,
fully recongnizlng the evil of drunk
enness and the vices and crimes of
which it is the source, record it as
their deliberate opinion that the only
feasible and peaceable remedy is high
license. Such an expression of
opinion is certainly entitled to
consideration, and to be
weighed against the views of those
who would be content with nothing
short of the most drastic measures.
There is disposition on the part
of the more ardent prohibitionists to
try to carry their point by force rath-
er than bv argument and persuasion.
They should see that mankind cannot
be made virtuous in any such way,
and that the great majority of Ieople
may te led, but cannot be driven.
They must win, if at all, upon the in
trins;c merits Of their cause, and not
upon denunciation and vituperation of
every one who is not willing to enter
at once upon universal snake-killing