Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1889-09-20

such evils are universally admitted and
that those opposed to prohibition do not
deny them. Then, arguing from this adj
mission, they will claim that prohibitory
laws are the one all powerful panacca
for every i'll brought upon society by
gluttony in drinking. Nor will they neg
lect to state that those who disagree with
them are the cohorts of the devil. But
the practical temperance man will Want
to ask the agitators these questions:
1. Is not there an excellent condition of
affairs in Emmons county at present un
der high lcense2 Is there much drunkcn-
ness among her citizens? In how many
cases has the lack of prohibition been res
sponsible for the bad things that have
occurred IN the county? What need has
Emmons county for il7 Is it not better
to '1et well enough aloneY'
2. Do you candldly believe that adopt
ing the prohibition paragraph and lcAv.
ing no pruvTs16rf for license will prevent
the drinking of intoxicants in this county ?
Can the sale be prevented IN county rs
sparsely settled as this, with an army post
just across the river? Is it not more likely
that removal of the license will throw the
liquor business into the hands of mum.
Der Of desperate, irresponsible and crafty
lawbreakers2
8. If prohibition be adopted, to enforce
it and discover infractlons of the law IN
this county will require a system of paid
spies or detectives. This is profession,
we believe that few of our citizens would
want to adopt, even for pay. The spies,
then, must come from abroad, and be
paid by the county. In addition to the
direct yearly loss TO the taxpayers of the
thousand dollars now coming from the
two Licensed saloons. would it not cost
the taxpayers from FIVE to ten times as
much every year to discover and proge
cute violators of the law7 And the ustial
claim of prohibitionist agitators--tha at
more money will he paid by citizens of
the county to the saloons than loss OF the
license fee and the cost of pros, cutions
will amount to--does not hold good irh the
case of Emmons county, for the reason
that most of the liquor drank in tlIs
county IS drank by people in govcrnmctf HI
service across the Big Muddy.
4. Why should the moderate drinking
of wine, beer, hard cider, even whisky
out as a special object Of attack while
other sins of greater magnitude that have
been committed in this county 20 unre-
buked by the frowns of the reformers?
B. Michigan and other states have tried
prohibition and found it wanting; mum.
Der of widely separated commonwealths
have voted it down; nearly every county in
Ontario that adopted the workings of the
Scott act has reconsidered It's action
number of North Dakota counties that
voted local option at one election, after
wrestling with "blind pigs" for year
declared by their votes that the theory and
practice were different. Are the intelli-
gent men of this county and of this stat e
expected to believe that it is better to
kill the license system and adopt vis-
ionary and crude idea that has but recently
met an unbroken line Of defeats at the
hands of the honest hearted people of
some of the grandest common wealths of
the nation?
You ask the prohibltionist agitators
these questions and in reply they will tell
you funny story, or relate how some
weak minded fellow who would have eaten
opium if he could not have obtained
whisky galloped to the demnition bow
vows while his family peddled clans to
sustain life. But naught of good will they
say of the nlnety-and nine moderate
drinkers who went not astray. They will
tell you of the hills as high as the house
tops that might be built Of drunkards'
bones, forgetting that, though bigotry
and intolerance, in the sacred name
of religion, have sacrificed enoue h
innocent lives to build a mountain of hu~
man bones as high as the clouds, it IS
no reflection upon the pure and practical
religion of the meek and lowly Nazarine
"who never took the city marshal or the
sheriff along when he went to convert
sinners"
Vote for high license