Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-04-26
Prohibition Defeat in Massac husetts.

The defeat Of the proposed prohibitery
amendment to the constitution of the State
of Massachusetts by majority of 44,552 Is
an event of no little importance for the fu.
ture of prohibition. 1t is deliberate and
very emphatic declaration on the part OF
the most progressive and influential of the
New England States that, as respects the
liquor question, regulation by proper sys-
tenn OF licenses is preferable TO attempted
prohibition. The people of the Bay State
decide TO retain their local-option law,
which allows every town and city to regu-
late the sale of intoxicants within It's own
territory, and not to experiment with
more ambitious but less efficient weapon.
The experience of Name, as related not
long since by Gen. Neal Dow, is anything
but encouraging. In the rural districts of
Maine prohibition prohibits fairly well, but
in the larger towns and cities the liquor
traffic and dram drinking are carried on
openly. Where the local sentiment favors
o rigid enforcement of the prohibitory law
there it succeeds, but where the majority is
against it the local authorities chosen by
the people appoint policemen who allow
the saloon keepers to do pretty much as
they please. The existence of constitution
al provision prohibiting the regulation OF
the traffic by licenses becomes, under such
circumstances, it is found, a great obstacle.
In Ohio, for example, there was for years
no restriction on saloon-keepers, and drunk
enness increased beyond all bounds, because
the Legislature was forbidden by the con-
stitution to recognize the legality of the
traffic in liquor by licensing it. Absolute
prohibition having been found by expert
ence to be impracticable, the growing sem
timent of the country appears to favor
"high license" and local option as the best
means of restricting the liquor evil. High
license, besides restricting the evil, has the
merit of tightening to very great extent
the burdens of tax-payers--a capital recon-
mendation. The excellent results OF the
local option system are illustrated in this
State, where every county that desires pro-
hibiton has it and enforces it. The result
in Massachusetts indicates the prevalence
of the adoption sentiment in that State,
not, as might be supposed, complete
change of views on the temperance ques-
ton. Other States have recently by their
votes shown that the tendency OF the times
is toward severe regulation rather than the
more extreme programme. Should the vote
n Pennsylvania in June next be unfavora-
BILE to the prohibitory amendment then to
be voted on, the event would go far to in
dictate that this tendency is general. A no.
table circumstance of the Massachusetts vote
is the practical unanimity with which the
cities pronounce against prohibition. But
one OF the twenty-five cities OF the State
voted Eyes" Places which not long since
gave good majorities for local option stood
out strongly against making the prohibit
ton general. Cider, it appears, was q po-
tent factor in deciding the votes OF the farm
ers, despite the entreaties of members of the
Women's Christian Temperance Union, and
they voted freely against restricting their
production and consumption OF that rather
dangerous beverage. The result is that every
congressional district but one went "wet"
The political consequences of this Waterloo
for the Massachusetts prohibitionists may
turn out to be very considerable. 1t prom
ises large losses to the Republicans in future
elections the threat of the third party men
being that they will next fall "kniie" any
"license" candidate the Republican party
may neminate.-Bdlto. Sun.