St. Paul daily globe., 1889-03-08
LONG TONGUES
Wagged for Many an Hour in the
Debate.

Debate.
Representative Hompe opened the
debate after the house had gone into
committee of the whole TO consider his
bill favoring the submission of cOnsti-
tutional amendment to the people pro-
hibiting the sale and manufacture of
liquor in this state. He said:
1T is question fraught with great
deal of interest not only to us bat to the
people OF the state. | do not think that
the spirit shown here by the advocates
OF submission warrants the inference of
fanaticism.
1T is claimed that this act infringes
upon personal liberty, and that prohibi-
tion does not prohibit. AS to the in
fringement of personal liberty, we
might as well say the same
of every criminal law in the state.
that which Injuries his fellow men.
The law has a right to step in and re-
strain him. Shall we say that any
practice which produces crime shall
not come under the law? We who are
opposed to this evil are taxed to give it
to others as a luxury. | claim that this
is an Infringement of our personal lib
erty which we have the right to resist.
'"The liquor traffic is striking lat the
very foundation of our homes. Mar
riage is decreasing, and the principles
upon which we rely for a state govern
ment are being undermined"
As to the question of prohibition not
prohibiting, Mr.. Hompe cited the testi-
mony OF the governor of Kansas that
crime and drunkenness were decreas-
ing there, and quoted from official Iowa
documents.
''lt has been claimed that the enact
ment of prohibitory law in Minnesota
would destroy the Republican party.
Why, bless you, we have lost the liquor
element long ago and we have nothing
TO lose now. The states where prohibl-
ton now rules are more SolIdly Repub-
lican than ever before. Your danger
lies in the denying of the act of sub
mission, thereby sending thousands
of Republicans into the third
party. am not here to threaten
the Republican party, for whatever
your action | shall remain Republican.
believing that, as in Kansas, the party
here will eventually pass this act.
Do you propose to continue in the rut
of high license forever? While high Ii
cense may have lessened the NUMBER of
saloons, as far as temperance is con-
eerned ii is an almost absolute failure
The brewers OF Nebraska find their
business improved under high license.
and SO do those of Illinois.
1t has been proven to me that the man
in this state who dares to oppose the
liquor interests of the state is placing
himself in very delicate position.
But, gentlemen, defeat this measure if
yOu will, you cannot end it. The time
will come when the home will triumph
over the saloon"
HOYT.
Representative Hoyt-So far as the
people Of this state are concerned who
believe in constitutional prohibition [
have no fault to find with them. | am
free to say that if majority of the
voters of this state had petitioned this
legislature for this act l would be will
ing to submit it. but out of 1,250,OOO
people in this state 8 ate only 1000 odd peti-
ton for it and 5000 odd protest against
ing of the people, nor a demand
from them. 1t shows an apathy upon
the part of the temperance people, and
represents what l believe to be the
case, that they consider it dangerous
and wrong to disturb our present laws.
believe with the same amount of
work that we could bring the same
number of petitions here to abolish the
Ten Commandments. Moral and re-
Egl0uS issues can not be controlled
by statutory enactment. Intemper
ance is terrible curse, but we
must meet it in a practical manner.
The work of overthrowing it must be
moral and educational question and not
political one. In the home should the
temperance work commence and then
be carried to the school and churches
and our temperance societies. l make