Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-05-10
THE PROHIBITION CONTEST.

THE PROHIBITION CONTEST.
Speaking of the prohibition contes
no v going on in Pennsylvania the Phila-
| delphia Times says: 'All popular con
tests are subject to sudden and some
times revolutionary ebbs and flows OF
public sentiment, and the causes whIct
seem to produce them are often unseer
and unfelt until they break upon the dis
putanta with controlling energy. In July
of 1872, Greeley would have distanceG
Grant for the Presidency; in October the
tide agaIns. Greeley was overwhelming
Until late in September of 1880 Garfield
was hardly in the race for President; two
months later he defeated Hancock. When
Governor Beaver was nominated in 1882
his election was regarded az certain bv all
parties; one month later he was hopeless
iy behind IN the race and in November he
wGs beaten by 40, 900. These changes in
the drift of popular opinion are not
always az potential as in the instanc-
ces quoted, but in every vigorously
contested battle there are more or less
Gibbs and flows of the political tides.
The prohibition contest has exhibited
very decided if not a revolutionary
change of the popular ourrant since the
issue became tangible and practical by
h. cuuIug opti., nf the al ut tI1r q rlv
in the session. Had the question been
submitted to the people on the 18th of
March instead of the 18th of June, there
is little doubt that the prohibition amend
ment would have been successful and be
come an integral part of our fundamen-
tai law. IT had the advantage of popular
belief in it's success and that is half the
battle. IL had hesitating politicians who
had traded i'll prohibition as a mere pO-
litioal expedieht, and who feared to take
an attitude of opposition. 1t had the
prestige of u united ministry presumably
in it's favor, and it had peculiar political
complications which seemed to give it
tibntT pDsltlN6 hiu VI DtubIdllJy "HtlS
nearly united hostilisy was logically ex-
pected. Friends of the measure conf
IDENTIFY predicted sweeping prohibition
victory, and its foes confessed grave fears
as to the result. The first stunning blow
10 faith in prohibition success came from
the unex peoted and overwhelming defeat
! in Ham Thera
statutory prohibition had been in opera
tiOn for thirty four years, and the most
sanguine of the opponents of constitu-
tional prohibition hoped only to defeat it
10y preventing the necessary two-thirds
vote i'll it's favoi; but when a popular ma
jority of thousands was given against the
and foe. Next came a terrible blow from
Rhode Island, where constitutional pro-
hibitior has been in operation for several
years, and was so unsuccessful as a re-
form measure that both parties were
compelled to favor resub mission, and re
submission meant the repeal of prohibi
tion. Finally came the overwhelming de
feat of prohibition in Massachusetts,
where every phase of license and liquor
reform had heen tried by statute, and
when three New England States thus re,
jected prohibition within
few weeks, the oause became
hopeless one in Pennsylvania.
The defeat of prohibition in Pennsyl-
vania is now inevitable and it is likely to
be overwhelming, and 1t will not De done
in any spirit of hostility to temperance.
On the contrary prohibition in June will
be thus cast in the sinoerest desire to
upon the nse OF Intoxicating drink. Many
of the ablest and most respected minis
tegs are pronounced against prohibition
because they fear that it would increase
the present Legitimate traffic by an in
CREASED Illegitimate traffic and multiply
dissipation. Not only here, but leading
ministers elsewhere have regarded il as a
ministerial duty to advise against sweep
ing prohibition without either laws or
sober admonitions of many of the most
trusted leaders in church, and State have
done much to halt the prohibition tide
and make its defeat certain in Pennsyl-
vsnia. There are many considerations
appealing alike to the intelligent judg
ment and to the general interests of So
ciety, which have finally made the sue
cess of prohibition impossible in this
State. The declared opposition to the
proposed amendment from many u.en
whose interest in general society and
public morals is confessed by all, has
drawn the line between the friends and
foes of the measure in an unex oeoted
would be square battle between the
friends of sobriety and social order on
the one side and the rum party on the
| Other, and such an issue woald have been
worth tens of thousands of votes to pro-
hibition; but when that issue was elimi-
mated from the contest by ministers,
scientists, scholars and prominent
citizens of admitted philanthropic pur-
pose. the cause of prohibition was lost,
Constitutional prohibition is hopelessly
| defeated in Pennsylvania, and it will be
| an emphatic expression from the con
trolling element of the contest against
| impracticsble and in favor of practical
restraints upon the use of liquors. When
prohibition involves the ruthless de-
struction of millions of property without
compensation, and the sudden sud sweep
ing destruction of all Legitimate pursuit
! in the trsfic, il became sp imperious
| necessity that the enforcement of the
| measure shall be entirely practicable, and
| it was on this rock that prohibition was
| wrecked. When prohibition cannot be
| enforced in New Hampshire, Rhode Island
| and Massachusetts,, where the severest
restraints have been tried for many years,
1t must be obvious to all that it would be
utterly imprscticsble in Pennsylvania;
and it is this now well settled conviction
that will surely defeat prohibition by an
overwhelming vote on the 18th of June