New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-21
1,cENSE rs. PROHIBITION.

III. s;opihcant feature Of the pennsylvania
o,ao,;en NAV be overlooked. The tremendous
majority. profoundly disgusting to Prohibition
lists and surprising even to the opponents Oh the
C,hstitutio ual Amendments. was not only ma
io,ity against Prohibition, but also victory for
HIGH license. The shrewdest political observ-
ers record the fact that the new license law IN
Pennsylvania, which has not only brought in
large revenue, but has worked admirably IN d.
minishne the number of saloons and the evils
of the liquor traffic, appeared 50 satisfactory TO
many voters that they thought it most unwse
70 strike from the statute books q measure
eminently beneficial in practice, IN order to Try
the experiment Of constitutional Prohbition'
which has not worked equally we'll in other
States The Prohibition leaders assert that the
amendment has been beaten by the Hlgh-Li-
cense law. In view Of the overwhelming ma
iority against Prohibition this is declaration
that the existing law has met the approval VI
q very large number Of voters.
The prohibitioniStS do not help their cause
by denouncing az villains those voters VINO
have preferred the license law. Among those
who took active part against the amendment
we're many clergymeD, philanthropists, anu
citizens eminent for their personal worth ana
public services. 1t is safe ~ say that they de-
serve ut least a. much Of public confidence ana
respect as those who advocated Prohibition.
IL will have 10 be admitted that the virtue,
piety and reformatOry influences in the Stale
of PENNSYLVANIA as in Massachusetts, and other
States, are not all ON one side in this matter.
The prObibitOnsts cannot berate the support
ers Of high license as "rlmmes' or " friends
al. ..i,o tban splN
and destroying their own moral Influence
Temperance commands the support Of all
good citizeus Prohibition does not. Of those
good citizens who favor stringent temperance
legislation It can no longer be said that ma
jority in Pennsylvania consider Prohibition the
wisest mode of dealing with the question. On
the contrary in that State even more clearly
than in massachusetts,, maj urty Of the WORTH
est and best voters, o decided preponderance Of
the most helpful aud progressive influences, APP
pears to be on the side of high license. There
are many indications. too, that this IL an IN
cleasing majority. Experience undes high IL
cense everywhere strengthens its advocates.
Experience under Prohibition. In every State
where it has been tired thus far. has led some
| Of its supporters to doubt it's wisdom. Thus the
| test Of practical tiial has everywhere gone
| against the Prohibition iSts thus far, and they
virtually admit the fact in asserting, as they
| constantly do. that the partial failure Of Pro-
hiLition is due to the fact that the enforcem
Of the law has been left TO depend upon officials
chosen with reference " their position GU other
| issues.
So the Prohibition leaders Of Pennsylvania
| now force the distinct issue between Prohbl-
ton and Iiceuse, and say that they will organize
| to vote for no officer, from highest TO lowest,
who does not unequvocally pledge himself to
| Prohibition, as against any other mode of deal
ing with the liquor question. That is strictly
logical course and Il will reduce the Prohibition
vote everywhere " the minimum. The num-
Der Of people who sincerely desire TO do all that
they can to promote temperance, without sacri-
| fcing all other National, State and local in
terests. is very large. But the number who
will sacrifice everything else to a hopeless and
useless attempt to prohibit the liquor traffic
where Prohibition dUes not in fact prohibit j.
not very large. The more sharply the Pro-
hibtionists antagonize high license, the fewer
| votes they will get.