The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-07-04
OPPOSED TO PRoH1B.r1or.

No one questions the fact that Ly-
man Abbott, the able editor of the
Christian Union. is an anti-saloon man.
No one has the right to question the
honesty of his convictions. He is op.
posed to prohibition because he knows
that prohibition is not success, s and
therefore means free and unrestricted
whisky.
Here is what he has to say, editori-
ally, on the proposed prohibitory
amendment to the New York consti-
tuition, i'll a late number of the CITast-
ian Union:
'.A vigorous campaign is about to be
inaugurated in this state in support of
an amendment to the constitution pro-
hibiting the liquor traffic. The cleo
| tion takes place next April. This
leaves time for vigorous discussion and
public enlightment. We shall open
our columns to limited discussion of
the question. We say limited, because
without this qualification the letters
which we should receive would be
liable to Occuy all the space of the
| Christian Union, leaving none for other
topics. Our own convictions upon
| this question are clear, and, with the
| full consciousness that in expressing
them we shall antagoniZe the judg-
ment and conscience of some of our
readers, we have no hesitation in Civ
ing explicit expression to them. We
| advise the citizens of New York state
to vote against constitutional prohibi-
ton, ard to use their political influ-
ence in all legitimate ways for the de-
feat of the amendment.
In our Judgment, constitutional pro-
hibitiOn in New York State is an at
tempt to accomplish by short cut
what can only be accomplished by a
slow, educational process. The adop-
ton of the constitutional amendment
would have, in our judgment, no other
effect than to give the state unlicens-
ed liquor selling from one end to the
other. We doubt whether any we'll
Informed person suppOses that prohibi-
ton can be enforced in New York or
Brooklyn or Albany, or, for that mat
ter, in any of the larger interior cities.
1t is doubtful how far it would be
enforced in most, even of the rural
communities. Meanwhile the prohi-
bition amendment would prevent all
license, and therefore all regulation,
of the liquor traffic. Free rum would
be the result, and the temperance
movement would be set back in this
state as it was in Ohio by somewhat
similar amendment. If the majority
of the people of this state shall vote
for constitutional prohibition, we shall
then advise all temperance people to
combine their efforts in an endeavor
to enforce it.
Ifthe majority of the people shall vote
against the constitunal prohibition. we
shall urge all temperance people to COM
bine tl.eir efforts in favor of law fix
ing IA minimum license fee, and giving
local option to each township to prohi-
bit the saloon altogether. We believe
that such Hesitation is far more likely to
produce practical results in limiting
the liquor traffic and reducing drunken
ess than to attempt to abolish both al
together by prohibitOry clause in
the constitution, with no adequate
public sentiment in the state to sustain
and enforce it. The true order of re-
formis agitation, education, legislation,
The present movement of constitution
al prohibition reverses this order, and
puts legislation first and education and
agitation afterWard