Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-03
ANTI-PROHIBS.
Iowa Getting Tired of Its
Calling Yoke.
Both Parties Anxious to Throw
1t Off. IT.
Much DissensiOn in the Republican
Ranks. ana
The Anti-Prohibs Hold a State Conven-
tion-Local Option and High
License Favored.
Associated Press Dispatches.

can party eliminated in a State confer
ence today. One hundred and ninety
six delegates were present, representing
several thousand Republicans. Chair
man Collins, of Keokuk, said he had
been a lifelong Prohibitionist and done
all in his power to enforce the law in
hisicity, but failed. Other speeches OF
a similar vein were made. 5, Ex-Gover-
nor Kirkwood sent a letter in which,
among other things, he said: Person
ally, favor local option and high license
with stringent regulations, but some of
our Prohibition friends say if such a
change is made, the Republican party
will never carry an election III Iowa
again. Thstiooks to me very much like an
attempti4t bull-dozing, and Republicans
never took kindly to that mode of argu-
ment. This policy has been pursued
for some years by extreme Prohibition
lists in Republican States that have not
adopted prohibition, and it is now
threatened here. 1t has not won in the
past, and l think it will not in the
future"
Resolutions Adopted.
Hon. A. B. Cumins, of Des Moines,
presented the report of the committee
on resolutions, which was received with
great enthusiasm. The resolutions de-
clare answering allegiance to the prin-
ciples of the Republican party, as enun-
ciated in the Chicago platform, and con-
tinue 'We recognize the liquor traffic
as one which requires regulation, but
insist that the object of such legislation
should be to minimize intemperence and
mitigate it's evils. The experience of
this, as well as other States, has conclu-
sively shown that general prohibition,
operating upon all communities alike,
without respect to their habits, condi-
lions, circumstances or desire, is not
adapted either to suppress intemperance
or promote morals, and there
fore the experiment should be
abandoned, and the law should
munities which desire change shall
have the right to determine for them
selves whether Intoxicating liquors shall
be sold as a beverage within their limits.
"We are unalterably opposed to any
attempt to introduce into the constitu-
ton the doctrine that State prohibition
is an organic law. The State ought not
be incumbered with police regulations Of
that character. A political organization
has no just right to bring into its declar-
ations of principles new doctrine, un-
less it be one upon which substantially
all its members agree. A large num-
ber of Republicans in Iowa, are and al
ways have been opposed to general pre-
hibition, and if the Republican party
adheres to it's present position upon this
question, it is manifest by such adherence
that it tends to exclude from member
ship all those who believe the policy is
fatal to the best interests of the State.
''Inasmuch as the members of the
party are not agreed upon the subject,
there is obviously but one course which
the party can honorably pursue; it is to
vigorously exclude from the, party plat
form every reference to it, leaving each
Republican member of the Legislature
full liberty to act with regard to it as
his Judgment may dictate. The expert
ment Of general prohibition has been
faithfully tried, and in many portions OF
the State lamentably failed. The Re-
publican party cannot justify its further
support as party measure. Those
members of the party holding our views
cannot with favor to themselves longer
lend their aid to impose upon many
communities all the evils of unlicensed,
unrestricted and unregulated liquor
selling. .A
"For these reasons, and in the interest
of morality, business and social order,
we ask the General Assembly now in
session to amend the prohibitory liquor
law SO as to give to communities that SO
desire to act, the power to subject to a
minimum license, to be fixed by the
Legislature, ,and to regulate the sale OF in
toxicating liquors through the medium
of high license. And we insist on such
a change in the platform of the Repub-
ican party as will enable us to, stand
honestly upon it, and to assist in restor-
ing the party to complete supremacy"
The Democratic Policy.
The prohibition question came up in
the Lower House of the Legislature this
afternoon. The Democratic caucus
License bill was considered. Richman
(Democrat) said in spite of the strin-
gency of the law, it was plainly to be
seen that in some localities the prohibi-
tory law was openly violated, while in
Others it was observed. The Democrats
wanted this condition of affairs, and in
localities where prohibition was unpop-
ular, they wanted the liquor traffic regu-
lated. Accordingly they had, prepared
bill to fit the whole case-a bill that
would give localities that wanted prohi-
bition chance to do so. Itprovided for
settling the matter of license or olicense
by popular vote; licenses granted only
by the District Court, and then only to
proper persons. Any one could make a
remonstrance against license, and, If
such remonstrance was considered suffi-
cient, the license would be refused. The
minimum license fee was to be $500, and
that amount to go to the county inevery
Z much more as it saw fit. Any one OBJ
tanning license had to file $4,000 bond
for the full observance of the law. A
person violating the law could be pun
ished by fine and imprisonment. Any
one convicted twice should forfeit all
right to obtain license again. A drug
gist could keep and properly use liquors