Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1890-03-06

pahklOu OF tnclr DusluttS Nltbtn ntf DOfuefs
until millions upon millions OF the capital of
her citizens had been invested therein aud
then eoldly wiplng II out without one effort
TO compensate those who were ruined
thereby,
We need not strive TO console our con
sciences with the beliot that this properly
has been turned Into other and more useful
channels. The naked truth Is that wherever
the law has been enforced Its owners have
been impoverished, aud II anything has been
saved from the wreck II Is the merest mite OF
its former value,
Ignoring at this time the question OF
whether or not the moral or material welfare
CT the state AS whole is being advanced by
this law, a question upon which Its friends
and enemies take precisely opposite Views,
conceding all that IL claimed for 10 localities
whore II Is enforced ana reeognhlng tho evils
OF an unrestrMnea triho IN int"Nieatng
liquors where " \, nor enforced, nave we
s.a.esuon UPON uu'u s'ueso .n's controversy
mat eau impnrtlaily CONSIDER the necessity OF
tue stuN'oh'
1--we have they will fnd a middle ground
between the extremes OF opinion ON this sub
Ject. They viii leave to every locality In
iowa that desires u the present prohibltory
law or its equivalent They will force IL upon
no city or town where public sentiment re
Jects IL They will recognize the selfeyident
truth that a law which Ia entirely efficient for
the control OF the trcihc In the rural districts
OF the state IL wholly inadequate Tor the pur-
pose In It's great citi 3.
They will conotde the right OF sclfgovern
ment TO citizens capable OF deciding for
themselves what IL best Tor their own local.
ties, and 10 deny the people In one section OF
the state the power 10 determine what r'gu-
htions shall control those OF another, In
whose affairs they harh no rirhttul Interest,
and with whose circumstances aud needs they
uFp necessarily uuupuunlntgu,
They Will look beyond mere questions OF
sentiment Into the realms OF practical busi-
ness HE, and observe the naked truth that
vast majority OF the Inhabitants OF the civil.
hed world are opposed 10 prohioitory laws
upon principles that furnish no justihc .tlon
Tor tho Incorporate use OF alcoholic stlmu-
lants,
They will realize that states TO DO prosper.
Gus must be governed by laws ia accord
with tho Judgment OF tho masses of men and
not by those who are opposed thereto
But, beyond all theories, there IA 20 my
mind a more weighty reason etill for n radical
ehangc In our prohlbltory laws Tho electors
of the state, under circumstance that leave
no room for doubt as 10 their meaning, have
expressed their wishes IN this respect.
IL Ia impo, sible 10 read the platforms ot
the respective parties the letters of accept
ancc of their candidates for governor, and
remember the discussions that followed
W1thDnt reaching the conclusion That no pOs
litical issue was ever more clearly defined,
more thoroughly discussed, or better under.
stood by the masses than that relating TO
this question Ia the campaign which pro
coded our last election,
To shut our eyes TO this glnrlng truth 10
nothing less than denial OF ordinary intclu.
gcnce ON tho part OF those who cast their bal.
lots on that occasion.
am tho keeper of no mans conscience OK.
sept my own. Others may believe they have
a higher duty 10 perform In this matter than
any they owe the minority whose clearly ey.
pressed will they are willing +, ignore
They should not, however, misleud them.
selves into the belief that the people OF Iowa
have not, through the only medium known
to our institutions for settling political issues
pussed Judgment ON this.
Nor dc want tho scope or effect OF this
Judgment misunderstood. They have not
undertaken TO deprive any locality Ia the
state where public sentiment upholds n Of
our present prohibtory law or its equivalent
They have simply declared that each CITY
town and township shall have the right to
determine for Itself whether II will be- gov.
crned by prohibitory laws or by care ully
guarded license law, the minimum fee for
which shnll be $500, 10 be paid into the county
treasury, with power IN the municipalities To
Increase this fec Tor their esn beuent Those
who believe in this decision, and feel Il their
IL.
from the letter OF that decision as II was
made Tho license law, II any, which Ia To
supersede prohlbi t!on must DO all that has
been promised. We caLnot make tho Zee
less, or provide one fec for tho sale OF one
kind OF alcoholic stimulants aud another for
others, without departing from the only plan
wbi,h has received the approval OF "A major.
lty of the people OF the state.
We arc bound Ia honor 10 furnish for loo Al
tiles adoptluR IL n most clreiuIly guarded
license law,
The greatest of care should be exercised to
take the /, af,Ic out OF tho hands OF immoral
ana iyresnonslbI par,Ies Every snfevunrd
possible should be thrown around those who
are ia this respect legitimate sub Iects OF legal
control. willtIl sale 10 a minor or drunk.
ard should be cause for revolving n license.
pronrietors should be required 10 furnish I'm
some form adeoun,e security for he payment
OF all judgments, either criminal or civil that
NAV be obtained against them for any act
dono In ibe limo of their busIuess
Drunkenness SHOULD be punished as n
crime ana the babItual drunkard should be
taaken In cbargo nv the s,ate. tried bya com.
mission. and n found guilty sent 10 an
asylum and kent their until cured lie has
no moro right 10 BIO NJ large than the lunatic.
for he is such whit Intoxicated, aud wnen II
IL made known 10 him that he Is to be treated
by the law a, he should be, and not by n
yitiated public sentiment aa he never ought
TO he. there will be- fewer homes wrecked By
absolute men than now,
what Iowa needs Ia practical legislation on
this subject. legislation that IL broad enough
20 meet tho views of more than a single class;
that IL liberal enough 10 command the respect
Of all her people; that IL generous enough to
invite to-her borders every class of respect.
able persons. that 4, lust enough 10 protect
the person and property OF every one OF her
citizens and wise enough To exercise a prac
teal control over trafiic that today IL unre.
strained IN most OF her centsrs OF population.
He who strives for this IL not the foe of
ten Der ance, but Ia the friend OF n state too
grant In its natural advantages; too broaden
the diversity of its interests: too widely ~.
variance In the education. habits and Gus
,oma OF its people 10 be sppropriated by any
single class or sect
Among tho preropa,iyes OF sovereignty is
the conceded right 10 exact from each citizen
his lust proportion OF the expense of main.
tainIng the government IN A. protects him,
In theory the problem OF Just taxation Is
slmple. In practice most diflcult. No sys.
tom bas vet been devised that distributes
it, burdens with Impartial hands.
Thousands of people I'm our own state pay
IA yes on property they do not own; Thousand,
fall TO nav on that they do own.
Questions of increasing difficulty arise AS
we extend the field of inouiry. National MS
well as state governments must be supported
by taxation. Not q dollar enters a publc
treasury that Il not ia some manner with