Omaha daily bee., 1890-02-22
THE pRoHiBfTON CAMPAIGN.

practically entered upon their cam
paign in behalf OF a constitutional pro-
hibitory amendment. The work OF state
and county organization has yet to be
done, and the funds secured necessary
TO pay the hired ~agitators who make a
business OF preaching prohibition for
what there Is in it, but the platform Of
the third party" has been an
nounced, and from now on tn
battle wilt grow in vigor and
interest. The Importance of the
contest must not be underestimate,
nor will 1t be wise to %depreciate the
strength Of the element which seeks to
overthrow the sound policy OF liquor
regulation in Nebraska that has been
vindicated by an experience of nine
years, and to substitute for it constitu-
tional prohibition, which has every
where been n failure. 1t is necessary
that the supporters OF high license aud
local option shall understand at the
outset that they have n hard fight be-
fore them. The prohibitionists mean to
stubbornly contest every inch Of ground.
Undismayed by the overwhelming de-
feat their party suffered upon n like is
sue in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania,
they hope to so firmly intrench them-
selves in Nebraska that they may make
this state a base Of operations for a re-
newed attack upon the states that have
rejected their policy. They understand
that defeat here would be a more
crushing blow to their cause thar
any it has yet received, while sue
cess would revive the hope Of their
| party everywhere. They will conse
quently fight with unprecedented de-
termin alton and desperation, assisted
by every device which expert agitators
all owe the country are masters OF.
The advantage OF the opponents of
prohibition is in the impregnable logic
of facts. They must appeal to the judg-
ment and reason Of the people, rather
than to their sentiment and emotions.
There are thousands of men in Ne
braska who are induced to favor
prohibition simply as a matter OF senti-
ment, knowing little or nothing of the
facts which show how generally and
uniformly it has been n failure. This
knowledge it will be the business of
those who oppose the prohibition cru
SADIE to disseminate everywhere
throue hout the state. in such form that
none can fail to understand IL. 1t Is al
ready apparent that the prohibition
campaign is to be characterized by
the usual Misrepresentation. The
platform declares that Nebraska has
tried high license long enough to dem
onstrate its utter impracticabillty
either to control the liquor traffic or
this common center Of social, moral
and political corruption" What are the
factsp The high license and local OPP
ton law of Nebraska has eliminated
the saloon from many places in which
it existed before the law was enacted
and has greatly reduced the number OF
saloons generally In proportion to pop.
ulation. Ten years ago Omaha,
with a population of thirty
thousand, had overtwo hundred saloons,
or very nearly as many as there are al
present, with a population about foul
times as great. In 1850 saloons in this
city were practically unrestricted
whereas now they uniformly submit tc
the requirements oil the law. No fair
minded man who has been a resident o
Omaha during the last teu years, ant
has observed the effect Of high license
will question that they have
been in the interest of temper
ance. Testimony no less conclusive
regarding the wholesome effect of higi
license laws in restraining and regulat
ing the liquor traffic is supplied by thu
experience of Massachusetts,, Pennsyl
vania, Minnesota and other states il
which this policy has been adopted ant
thoroughly enforced.
On the other hand, it is the indis
putable fact that prohibition ha
everywhere failed to prohibit, ex
cept in the rural district
of the states that have adopte
it, and in all such district
a local option law would have bee,
equally effective. In his last annua
message the governor.of Maine callel
the attention of the legislature to tn
general violation of the %prohibitlo
! law in the cities of that state, and tn
leading newspapers freely admitte
that such was the case, The disregar,
I of the law in Portland became $
bold that the state authori
' ties were appealed to and
special constabu,ary was sent to tina
city so assist the police In enforcin
: the law. But liquor selling there still
goes on, though less openly than be
> fore. Still later, a number of Bango
saloon keepers were arrested for viz
. latiug the law, and the grand Jury re
' fused to indict them. There is not
: city in Name where liquor is not sold
according to the most trustworthy az
! thority. The same is true of Iowa an
Kansas, in both of whic
Joints" and ''bootleggers" ar
. to be found almost every
!. where, selling the vilest %decoctiOns an
!. creating vastly more demoralizatio
than would be possible where resort
are properly regulated by law.
I urba aoptaSt which ronfronta tho n,o