Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-24
Meaning of the Results in Penr syl-
vania and Rhode Island.
THE vAGARY OF visloNARlES
Experience Continues TO Dcmonstrate
That Prohibition is Impractica bic
and Thinking People are
Voting For High License.
Another Waterloo.


Island has piled Ossa upon Peliou by reject
ing prohibition after a tmeo years trial
The prohibition fanaticism will be heard of
no more, and the public will be heartily glad
of it. High license and regulation will DO
found to be the effective means of governing
the liquor trade.
Springfield Republicans The defeat of
the prohbltory amendment in Pennsylvania
evidently is by a large majority, as was autc-
ipated. The slang phrase of "wet' victory
will be used as usual. The true significance
of the result is that there are so great num-
Der of temperance men who do not believe
in state prohibition as method of regulating
the drink evil. Calling it "wet' victory
ISLANDERS these-and yet the prohbitlonists
will not scruple to indorse the slander.
New York Times: Within two years
prohibition amendments have have been
proposed and defeated in the states
of Michigan, Texas, Tennessee, Ore
gon, West Virginia. New Hamp-
shire, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
The successive defeats of prohibition, which
have steadily accumulated in force, and its
partial or complete failure where it has been
tried, are likely to reduceits Importance very
materially as an issue in politics. But with
has been steady gain in public sentiment in
favor of a stricter regulation of the liquor
traffic by means of high license and local
option.
ST. Louis Republic: The crushing defeat
of prohibition in Pennsylvania is largely at
tributable to the fact that the new high IL
cense law, which went into effect there a
little more than a year ago, is working such
aynallant hot ha ND
thinking people, who, after all, decide such
elections, are in no humor for further and
doubtful experiments. In 1887 there were in
the city of Philadelphia 5,773 licensed sa-
looms and 1000 unlicensed saloons. At the
present time, under the high license law
which has been in operation less
than two years, the number OF licensed
saloons in Philadelphia is l,205, and
as the owners of these saloons are financially
interested in seeing that no liquor is sold by
any one who does not pay license fee, the
number OF unlicensed saloons is believed to
have been reduced considerably moro than
half. In other words, under the opera
tion Of high license law which is exception
ally efficient in its regulatve provisions, the
number of saloons in Philadelphia has been
reduced, in less than two years, from 6,7T3
to about 1,60O That this means, also, a cor
responding reduction in crime, IS shown by
official statistics cited in the Philadelphia
Record. According to these statistics the
number of arrests for all crimes has been re-
duced 40 per cent, as compared with the pre-
vlous year, and commitments to the house of
correction so per cent. In comparison with
practical results like these, prohibition is a
vagary of enthusiasts.
New York Evening Post: The defeat of
the prohibition amendment in Pennsylvania
is overwhelming 1t must be taken as
declaration by the people of Pennsylvania
that they prefer high license to prohibition
or the restriction of the liquor traffic to eX-
treme efforts to abolish it by law. Pennsyl-
vania was exceptionally good ground upon
which to try this issue, for it has an excel
lent high license law, which has worked
well in practice and has greatly reduced til 9
number of saloons in all parts of the state.
The result can not be taken, therefore, as q
verdict against restrictive temperance legis-
lation, but as one decidedly in its favor.
st. Louis Post-Dispatch; Pennsylvania
gaes wet and the prohibition party goes to
thunder.
Washington Critic: Such OF the prohibit
tonists as are honest and have intelligence
enough to await results, will yet join the
practical reformers in securing local option
aud furthering such other moderate ana
shrewd programme as may be advanced for
reducing to minimum the evils arising
from the use of intoxicating liquors.
Every lesson such as that taught in Penn
sylyania is good one. 1t is another possi-
BILE impression upon the heads of the dull
ards.
Cleveland Leader: The overwhelming de-
feat of the prohibition amendment in Penn
sylvania is death blow to the prohibition
party. Although the state has many large
cities, it has smaller proportion of foreign
born citizens than any other state of ap-
proximate size. Even Philadelphia, with
100000 inhabitants, which gave nearly
100, 900 majority against prohibition. is one of
the most thoroughly American cities on the
continent. The state as whole is one of
the most orderly and conservative in the
union, and there is no better field any
where for the planting and growth of a
moral idea. The campaign has Deen one of
the most earnest ever conducted on that
issue and the result the most decisive Com
ing on the heels of the defeat of prohibition
in Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hamp
shire, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee and West
Virginia within the past two years, the vote
in Pennsylvania on Tuesday signifies that
the plan of state prohibition is rapidly los
ing ground and is already so discredted as q
reform measure by the masses Of the people
that it can no longer serve as basis for
political party.
Kansas City Journal: On Wednesday the
people of Pennsylvania voted against prohi-
bition by majority of over $50, 900, and yes
terday the people Of the state of Rhode ISL
and repealed the prohibition section in
their constitution by three.tfths major
ity and 5000 votes to spare. These two de-
clsions carry with them significance that
can not DC OVeIlOOheu Ny ClIhcr Suc iIiouuo
or enemies of prohibition. The Rhode Island
election is especially noticeable from the fact
that three-fifths vote was required to carry
the repeal of the measure, and the vote was
taken without reference 10 politics. We be-
lieye that this indicates that the objection to
prohibition is not based upon opposition to
temperance reform, but that it is based upon
opposition to prohibition as q method OF ac-
complishing temperance.
Philadelphia Times: II is a victory
achieved by tho conservative temperance ele-
ment of the state, and it means that severe
laws shall regulate traffic that is capable
of great wrongs to society and that there
shall be no .awlessness either invited or
tolerated in it, 1T leaves the whole issue
from high license even TO absolute prohi-
bition, open for consideration IN our legisla-
tive halls. and there will be constant press
ure for advancement in every line that
promises the promotion of public sobriety
prohibition is beaten; temperance is not
beaten, and il is now safe to say thatit never
can be beaten in Pennsylvania
New York Telegram: We can't fight the
whiskey element on the plan suggested by
the pious Senator Blair, by conhscating all
cargoes of rum the moment they reach our
shores, or by the Iowa plan Of coniscating
breweries organized under state license,
ond ,ad,ciuu Ia happarV "a husineas that WAS