New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-14
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. on PROHIBITION


has refused during the last two years to ADOPT
a Prohibition amendment Michigan gave
majority Of 5,845 against such an amendment
Teras one of % .66I, Tennessee % 1913, Ore
gon 1895, and West Virginia So,oI4: Ihe
case In New Hampshire is somewhat diterenO
as two-thirds of all the votes cast are requires
10 amend the Constitution, But it is thougn'
that the amendment has not only failed 70
secure these, but has. not even succeeded III
winning q majority Coupled with the Iac'
that a law prohibiting the sale OF liquor, though
not its manufacture, has been on the statue
book for thirty -four years, this result VIII DO
interpreted as a decided setback for Prohibl-
ton. The amendment proposed to prevent also
the manufacture Of liquors, which is now Jaw
full, and which renders the law prohibiting the
sale dead letter in many places; and H. aiter
an experience Of this system covering third
of century, majority vote could not Dc ODD
tanned for complete Prohibition, the inference
will be that the policy has not grown in the
favor of the people. Nor does the fact that tne
vote was very light--not more than one-han
the vote in November-help the case at all
This indicates popular indifference among the
classes which might have been expected 10
support the amendment; for certainly its OPP
ponents worked actively, though quietly.
At the same time the news comes that
the Rhode Island Legislature has passed by
a large majority the measure to resubmit the
Prohibition amendment to the people, The
next General Assembly, however, must pass
upon il also, before the question can be
laid before the people at the spring cleo
tons two years hence. Meantime the present
system, or the lack of one, must continue.
There is conflict Of testimony, as there al
ways is, as to the working Of Prohibition IN
Rhode Island. Senator Chace, an able and
conscientious Republican leader, upholds it
warmly. But the burden Of the evidence seems
to be that the system is downright failure, and
that the situation with regard to the liquor
traffic is worse than it was before the amend
ment was adopted three years ago. All the
signs 60 to show that the vote to resubmit IL
TO the people Is in obedience TO popular senti-
.ment. 1t is found that the traffic, which was
formerly under supervision and control, Is now
practically free. Liquors are brought into the
State by the carload, the drug-stores sell with
out needing the law at all, and the attempt TO
enforce it having been practically abandoned.
at least in the cities, because there is no public
sentiment to sustain it, saloons flourish SO
far as we know, the statement OF ''The Prov
idence Journal that there are $40 places in
that city where liquor is openly sold. not in
GLIDING drug-stores, ETC., has never been suc-
cessfully challenged. IL could not we'll he, in
fact seeing that it was supported BY lists and
diagrams.
The degree Of the failure Of Prohibition in
Rhode Island is probably explained by its pc
culiarities Of population. It's rural population
Is 30 small that IL hardly counts in the balance
against that Of the manufacturing cities and
villages which crowd its modest territory. In
these the failure Of the law is positive, and the
rural communities cannot make a strong enough
showing of success TO Offset it. There can be
no doubt that in many rural communities, with
public sentiment 10 sustain it, Prohibition has
made good record. But when the attempt is
made TO apply il without discrimination over
a whole State the rule seems to be that though
it may be enforced in the country it will not
be in the cities. The result is that in the lat-
ter the liquor traffic is freed from restraint.
and the demoralizing spectacle is presented Of
a law which Is enforced in some localities and
is dead letter in others.
Additional interest will attach now TO the
vote in Massachusetts next month, though
large majority against the amendment seems
to be foregone conclusion. On the whole,
Prohibition is losing ground in New-Englsnd.
The drift of events there would seem to
strengthen the principles of Local Option and
Of High License as opposed to a general Pro
hibition.