The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-12-12
ANEW THoUGRT ON THELIQUoR TRAFFIC

And still the very important question of |
the control of the liquor traffic absorbs the
attention of many thoughtful men. Pro
hibitionists are still contending that the
traffic is sinful and should not be recog-
nized by the state to the extent even of
licensing it; that a compromise with sin is
never iustifable; that to license the saloon
is little or no worse morally than to license |
the gambling den or house of infamy Op- |
ponents of prohibition, on the other hand, |
are still urging the IMPROPERLY of the state
interfering with the liberties of its citizens |
by the enactment of sumptuary laws; that |
the most that can be done is to regulate the |
liquor traffic and render it as respectable as |
possible by high license and legislative re
straint.
Now comes WILLIAM ARCH MCLEAN, the |
new ideal Of Boston, with views upon this
important question that will command at
tention by their novelty and respect by
their reasonableness.
He writes:
License has no philosophical or reasonable
basis. 1t is a criminal abSurdity INDUCED in by
unconscionable states, whether in high or
low form. Taxing and legitimatizing criminal
attempts to correct the effects OF that cause is
one of the most awful and ridiculous modern
examples of straining at gnat and swallowing
| a camel
Prohibition is the other extreme. and seems a
forced, unnatural thing. Prohibition will never
succeed until its adherents establish beyond all
doubt the right to prohibit. To insert prohib-
itory clause in the constitution is to add new
declaration of right. Freedom of speech is
a pyi0ri, a right no one questions. Can prohibi-
ton be called such right? Is it anything more
than policy measure that government, in
adopting, believes will be polite to establish
for the preservation OF social and moral order
Can philosophy, reason and natural law give
no solution of this difficultyg Let us see.
Tire first proposition to be propounded at this
point is, have liquors legitimate use? The
answer to this is affirmative. They are much in
demand in the arts and the future has un-
dcubtedly still greater uses for them. It may
be said to be mooted question, whether as a
beverage unadulterated liquors in temperate
quantities have a use, but the weight of author
ity at present would indicate that they have
not.
Granted use, scientific use, any legitimate
use of liquors by the consumer it follows that
equitable commercial iustice requires a traffic
in liquor as free and unrestrained as may, or
can be, had in any other commodity. The
, government has more right to tax thereby
creating monopoly, or prohibit, thereby de-
priving of use, in the liquor business than in
that of any other article. A use, and free
traffic TO supply the demand for that use
!. where is the limit beyond which it will be in
. furious to permit that traffic to go? Surely
when use becomes an abuse; when the con-
sumner Injuries himself and others in that use
This abuse brings US face to face with the
, point around which existing laws vortex and
lash themselves in paradoxical torment, viz,
the query mortality propounds-Is drunkenness
a crime? But one answer is admissable-a pos
tive affirmative
The saloon of to-day is destructive of peace,
law and order, ana must be driven out of exist
ence If we wish to advance mankind toward the
enjoyment OF the better morrow. 1t must come
to pass that the peace-power shall have the
right to exterminate these plague-spots. A
dive Of women knowing no chastity, is un.
: earthed, raided, and It's inmates sent to homes
for wrecked wrnanhood Why should not a
:, hive OF lawiess drunkards be raided and its in.
mates sent to homes for wrecked manhood?
Having granted liquors use, when will the
consumer obtain liquor under free traffic fol-
such legitimate use! liquor store, bar-less
Q or drug store selling liquor is the outcome OF
r our predicate with no drinking under any cir
cumstances whatever on the premises.
+ The liquor store will not be free from all re
II strictions In the first place. trade regulation
e should require that all liquors be analysed, and
: labeled as proved. This will rid the traff1c o.
the prevalent great quantity of poisons 1t vii
u then be possible to determine whether goot
n liquors have any use as beverage. Poisonou.
q liquors certainly have not
The second restriction will be similar 10 tina
n which regulates the sale of dangerous articles
= by druggists The sale will be restricted to tn,
D. sane and adult masses.