Telegram-herald., 1890-03-01

LIQUOR LAWS
In is practical operation. the Iowa
prohioroy law may not have been a
success. We are not prepared 10 say.
AT any rate there seems 10 have been
decided uprising Of the people, last
election, against the only party in that
State that favored the enforcement of
the law. But Gov. Boies, IN his arraign-
ment of the law, does not add one
feathers weight to his argument, or
aid bis own party IN the least, by as
sert.ns that the principle OF prohibit
ory law interferes with the rights of
private citizens, or as he words it, "in
and Of itself i is a cruel violation of
one Of the most valued Of human
rights" That IS true, neither in law,
nor in theory, nor IN practice. The
legal right to abolish the traffic has
been declared by tribunal after tribunal.
No valid exception can be taken to the
theory that society has a right TO pro-
tect itself from the curse Of tine hquor
traffic and al It's attendant evils. Prac-
tically speaking, the men, who have
property invested in the accursed busi-
ness, have put it there with their eyes
wide open To the growing sentiment
against It, and they have made such in
vestments and taken their chances. If
they sometimes get caught and over
whelmed IN the swelling tide of public
indignation against the traffic, they get
no more than any man of ordinary
intelligence may foresee.
The greatest argument against pro-
hibitory law Is It's impracticsbility aris-
ing from the fact that such an enact
ment ia far IN advance OF the standard
Of public sentiment. We refer here to
what may De considered the practical
public sentiment. We do not believe
that public sentiment IS actually so low
and debauched as 10 sanction, or con-
nvs st, the evils arising from the
liquor traffic. We believe that the peo-
pie, If uninauenced in their votes by
any other question, would condemn
the traffic by n large majority. But
only \ certain portion Of their better
sentiment can be brought to bear upon
tho subject. A large portion of II is
Handicapped by political considerations
ard other issues of National or state
policy. Nor can those disturbing
elements 20 eliminated entirely by
holding a special election upon the
LIQUOR question alone. When casting a
vote, u IS perfectly natural for Al intel
hgent American s'sctor 70 consider
what bearing bis vote may have upon
other pohtcal issues than that upon
which be Is voting And this course Il
right. No citizen AN safely shut hll
eyes TO every ~ uciple but one, and
determine his act.fn accordingly. Al
principles Of party policy, formulating
governmental poecv, arc the results oi
compronai ses between extreme views
50 are the practical results Of popular
elections = sort Of compromise between
clashing principles that come together
IN the same contest. Each one in
duences the other more or less, az each
planst Influences smother IN It's course
and the movements OF one can not b
clearly understood without reference e
al the others.
When public comprehension Of th,
evils of the traffic shall have so srowr
as % oversbadow al other principles
Of political action. ss the c0mprehen
son of the injustice ~ the slave trafi,
Grew. then tho icror traffic VII have 9,
80. Hut the slave traffic vas sectional
and Its overthrow vas SIMPLY a trial o
strength between two clearly dsfiusC
sections The iGuor traffic. however
i general ard can not he dealt With a
the slave traHic vas. Before 70 can b.
overcome. thers must Be a growth q
saneral sentiment sgsnst it, that vi
Froxu IL down. ard thst, 100. IN spit.
cf ether poit6sl considerations
The astit1de of ths three parties n
ward the Eauor traffic e about this
The Democratic party. ss an organiEa
ton. does rot believe n interfering VT
eere az the most valued It hurnsi
rirhts''-the right 10 buy, and sell, sn'
Grsnk Iqacr. The Republican part
and the Prohihtcn party, a organiz'
Ecrs. Go bensvs n such lnseTferenee
Sat a sgplying restrictive legislation