Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-29
PROHIBITION NO REMEDY.


 PROHIBITION NO REMEDY.
 With the prohibition rally held last evening at the opera house the cam paign may be regarded as opened locally in regard to the constitutional prohi- bitory amendment. Though the hopes and enthusiasm of the prohibitionists are stronger than their numbers, it is inn possible not to admire the faith and zeal they show for the cause in which they are enlisted. Nevertheless, it is neither hope nor enthusiasm that win, especially in a cause that commands itself neither to the good judgment nor the choice of any considerable body of men.
 We must confess that MT Cushing made a very able, ingenious and attrac- tive plea for his favorite theory last evening. His arraignment of the high license idea was able and convincing, and we may easily imagine that the de- lenders of the dangerous and selfish principle could not readily brush away l his arguments. High license does not restrict, restrain or destroy the liquor traffic, while it does restrict, restrain and control the commercial liberties and ] rights of the people. What right has the state to say that some particular 1 individual shall be allowed to sell liquor ;, | to the exclusion of others simply and solely because he has the means of paying for the privilege and can make the traffic profitable ? It is monopoly pure and simple, the most ! indefensible and selfish kind of class l legislation. And yet we do not believe | that the alternative lies in prohibition. l There can be no prohibition until the majority of the people, or at least of the voting population, are themselves total abstainers. While seven out of ten men drink either moderately or immoder- at atflr1, ,a and the ".hara three are ready to prohibition can never be made to prohib it. And that has been the experience of the states where prohibition has been tried, the claim of the speaker last even ing to the contrary notwithstanding We apprehend that it is not so difficult to get drink down ill Maine as the gen. tleman who introduced Mir Cushing tc the audience last evening, and even MI Cushing himself, pretended it to be. The Iexperience of visitors to the state has
 been different; the facts found in the
 press of the state tell another story; the
 licenses recorded in the United States
 internal revenue office reveal different state of things. Men do not buy United
 States liquor licenses unless they have 8 vestment profitable to themselves. And
 the investment in these licenses in those Istates where prohibition has been adopt
 ed is proof convincing enough to tht
 average mind that prohibition fails te prohibit there. We believe there can b. no such thing as effective prohibition while the majority of the people are no
 themselves total abstainers.
 Prohibition will not be adopted il
 Connecticut in October. The people O.
 this state are a practical people, ant
 they have little thought of fooling witt
 an experiment that has been tried ant found wanting in other states. A mod
 crate license fee, which shall compe
 the traffic to bear it's share of the bur . dens of the community, and regulativt laws framed in a spirit of equality, fair ' ness and justice, will do more, with thu efforts of those temperance workers wh, base their labors on moral suasion, tt
 keep the liquor traffic within reasonabl
 bounds than all the theories and all tn
 principles ever conceived or dreamed o
 by the prohibitionists.
 We admire the zeal and the persis
 tency of the prohibitionists, but we can
 not endorse their judgment or goo, taste.