Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1889-03-22
w. G. r. %.
G7hisOotumnis Ediiedunderhc Direction
ofthcW. @. Z .Unionof Perrvsburo
FRACTIONAL PROHIBITION.

| tRACIhVNALk khkVhhlbh
"Half loaf is better than no loaf," Ia
a favorite proverb Of those who by specious
reasoning persuade themselves that high
license is temperance measure. This
application has been rrjected by true Pro-
hibitionipts everywhere; but within n
year two cuts Of the genuine loaf have
been offered, nnd gladly received. The
Iirst WAS an act OF Parliament prohibiting
the @le Of liquor in the North Sea fish
eriep. The bill passed almos, challeng
ed through both IIouRes. 1t was the un-
anImous opinion NJ lords aud cummoners
that drink uron the North Sea IA curse.
| No reasnna were given for selecting this
particular spot Of the British empire for
special benediction. None can be guessed,
unless IL be, that as the men engaged in
| North Sea fishing are necessarily deprived
Of suffrage, no member Of the House Of
Commons need enibarrass his future
prospects by voting for the measure.
ProhibitionIsts, whose uprpose compasses
both sea aud land, may not analyze too
closely the motive behind "an act which
prohibits under enormous penalties" the
drink traffic anywhere, even in the utter
most parts. of the sea.
The second cut OF the loaf, which might
be called bias cut was made by the
territorial Legislature OF New Mexico
during its last session, which passed, over
the Governors veto, "an act prohibiting
women from entering saloons for the pur-
pose of drinking; and forbidding the
employment Of women or girls in saloons
or gambling rooms" This is the most
stringent prohibiiury bill ever submitted
n, it's provisions are two fold, forbidding'
both selling and drinking. The most
ardent reformer has not heretofore dared
propose such double "cure for drunken
ness by law" Public sentiment in New
Mexico seems ripe for the measure and
ready to support it. One of the most en-
terprising papers in the territory says:
"If we are not greatly mistaken, an officer
who tails 10 enforce this law IN the future,
will be compelled to resign by the just
Indignation of the public" With such
backing from press and people, prohibit
tion cannot fail 10 prohibit.
The reasons for the Governor's veto
have not, in so far as we can learn, been
made public. It may have been too great
a strain upon his chivalry to sign bill
imposing an actual sumptudry law upon
a class uneniranchised, numerically !, 8,
| and physically weaker, than the one TO
which he and the trainers of the act be-
long.
Now we believe prohibition is good or
all ages, sexes, and conditions, and IA
women we are wiling to have the bless
ing first. The gallant legislators give
more than we dsred ssk, inasInucl' as they
forbid "en,ering saloon for the purpose
of drinking" while we had only thought
of forbidding persons entering the saloon
for purposes of selling. 1t IL not in wo-
mans nature TO be sel6sh toward men.
Surely the daughters OF Eve will not be
slow to offer share Of this apple to the
sons of Adam, with the assurance that
it is good. Let the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union Of New Mexico i'm
mediately, with pen, tongue, and petitions,
begin TO agiiate an amendment of G. b.
No. 10s, changing the word women" TO
persons, making the act read: "To pro-
hibit persons from entering saloons for the
purpose OF drinking, and forbiddmg the
employment Of persons in saloons or
gambling rooms." The law as passed was
entirely the work of men, but they will
not deny women 30 modest request as
the change of one word. Every argument
in favor Of the original bull applies to tn 3,
amendment. The Silver City Enierpri-e &c
says: "Let the law prohibiting wmen
from entering and drinking in saloons
be enforced, aud there will be fewer
drunken creatures OF this kind paraiing
our Streets" Let the proposed amend
ment be enforced and there would be ro
drunken creatures of any sort parading
instance in the territory Of drunken
woman shooting an exparamour. But
for every shot fired by drunken woman,
how many have been fred by drunken
men2 There is no lack of this sort o
argument for full prohibition. Every
man who falls by the avengIng bullet of /
cast off mattress is Gffset by score o
faithful wives slaughtered by drunken
husbands. Prohibition of the sale of Ii
quor to women has been agitated IN {
number OF stales during the past year
even meeting the approval of the Liquor
Dealers Association, which seems TO In
dIca.e ihat women are poor customers, a
well as troublesome. Plainly men se
how to protect themselves from violence
and having the ballot and Legislative
/ function they exert the right and powe
OF self-preservati1n, while they fail II
protect women by including men in th
prohlbitory provisions. Seeing the eas
with which they raise a shield over thei
. own bodies. need they wonder that wom,
. dare risk the subtle peril which surround
the ballot box, and want to vote"2 TIL
women OF New Mexico are certainl
Justified in demanding either universe
g prohibition or universal suffrage.
Advancing civilization Is too bus