Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-20
PROHIBITION IN CONNECTICUT

PROHIBITION IN CONNECTICUT
Connecticut will vote on the question
of constitutional prohibition on the first
Monday IN October. Thus far very lit
tie interest in. the campaign has been
developed, there being no approach to
the activity and excitement that char
acterized the campaigns on like issue
in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and
Pennsylvania. 1t Is remarked that the
apathy of the advocates OF constitu-
tional prohibition is especially notable.
There is no host of orators on the pro-
hibition stump. The persons who
make business of preach
ing prohibition, and who we're
conspicuous in the late campaigns in
other states, are absent from Connecti-
cut. The people of the "land OF steady
habits are depending upon home talent
for Information regarding what has
been accomplished in Kansas. Iowa and
elsewhere by prohibition, and the sup
ply of this talent is not large. 1t looks,
indeed, as if the prohfbitionists re-
garded the situation in G onnecticut as
being hopeless, and had determi ned
not to waste any effort there. Az any
rate, they have done very little work
thus far, and but two weeks of tine cam
paign remain.
Those who have looked into the sltu-
alton in Connecticut regard the defeat
OF constitutional prohibition as assured.
The current against prohibition is said
to have been steadily gaining force for
nearly year past, and the defeat OF
prohibitory amendments in Massachu-
setts, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire
materially strengthened the opposition
to the proposed amendment in Con
necticut. Besides, there are many
who are influenced by the consideration
that there was no necessity for pro-
posing constitutional prohibition, rs
Connecticut has a local option law
which. in effect, amounts to prohibition
In all commun tiles or towns in which a
majority of the voters desire the abol-
| ishment of licensed drinking places,
and so declare their will by their bal
| lots at the annual town meeting. Nearly
every town in the state has license for
the sale OF liquor, and the system m has
operated so satisfactorily that there is
no general disposition to try other ex-
periments. Moreover, the people of
| Connecticut are familiar with the prac
| tical failure of prohibition in other New
| England states, and it would be most sur.
prising if they should adopt . policy
| which after ample and satisfactory tria
has been rejected by their nelghbors
and against which the testi mony of eX.
| perlence everywhere is overwhelming.
| Connecticut will be the fifth state tc
pass judgment on constitutional prohi-
bition this year. Four have declared
against it by decisive majorities, and
no doubt is entertained that Counecti-
cut will be added to the list
trustworthy opinion being that
the proposed amendment will
be defeated in that state by from twenty
to twenty-five thousand majority.
this estimate should be verified by the
result it will be more signal defeat foi
| prohibition, the relative votes of the
states considered, than was sustained il
| Massachusetts or in Pennsylvania. Blu
the defeat Of constitutional prohibi
tion in Connecticut by majority ma
terially less than these figures vii
exert an important and widespread in
| fuence adverse to such a policy.