Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1891-10-29
No Backward Steps.

Iowa that has resolved at all on the
the subject has resolved against the
restoration OF the legalized enfran'
chised saloon Iowa. The Baptists,
Methodists, Congregationallsts, Evan.
gelical and ell other denominations
have spoken. Tho Presbyterians have
now also fallen into line. At the synod
OF Iowa, representing the Presbyter.
ians OF the whole state, OF that grea,
church, held at Boone few days ago.
the following resolutions were uuani-
mously adopted.
Your permanent committee on TEN.
perance begs leave 10 submit the fol-
lowing report:
l. The synod OF Iowa regards the
present as u critical time, as respect;
the temperance legislation OF our
state. The Christian church and the
temperance people of Iowa are pro.
foundry stirred by the attempt being
made to rchabili ate with legal sane.
ton the outlawed liquor saloon.
=. The saloon stands convicted as
a criminal at tho bar of the enlight
ened conscience OF mankind. II has
been characterized not only by the
church but by the highest court in the
land, as a wicked and crime produc
ing business, and as u natural out.
law. In a decision oil our supreme
court handed down on the 10th of las,
November, by Justice Field, the court
says: "By the general occurrence OF
opinion OF every civilized and Chris
tian community, there are few sources
OF crime and misery equal 10 the dran
shop and that 1.-The statistics oil
every state show greater amount oil
crime and misery attributed TO the
use OF ardent spirits obtained at these
retail liquor saloons than to any othe,
source" The court also declares that
There is no inherent right in citi.
zen to sell intoxicating liquor by re
tail" Thus by the supreme court oil
the United States the saloon Is brand.
ed as The greatest source Of misery
and crime, and with no natural right
of existence because of the injury il
inhic;s upon society.
3. We again, as in years past, ant
Ia accordance with the uniform and
emphatic declarations OF tho Presby.
terrain Church, through its lower
courts and by its general assembly,
and in accordance with the declara.
lions OF the entire Church OF God,
affirm our unalterablo conviction that
prohibition, as the legal method o.
dealing with tho rum traffic, is the
only method that Is right in principle
aud wise in policy.
/. We regard the appeal which Is
mace to higher than human law a:
the ground on which many base ,heii
opposition aud Justify their violation
of prohi6il0ry enactment, as fit only fol-
the intellectual and moral gibbet
Every saloon keeper not wholly want
ing in moral perception, and devoid
OF moral sense, reprobates his bust.
ness as II curse to community, and
continues in it, not from conviction oil
moral right so to do, but because OF
the large pecuniary profit he realizes.
5. VS. record our emphatic denial
OF the doctrine that defiance OF right.
cous law, however powerful or per.
sistent, constitutes any rational
ground for demanding its repeal. The
repeal Of our prohibitory law on such
ground, would be an uumanly sur.
render to the saloon and the run
power, which is always, and every.
where, and under all circumstances
essentially lawlcss. Ana We regard
the effort to secure the repeal OF our
prohibitory law on the ground of such
violation and defiance, as giving aid
and comfort to the eIemy, as encour-
aging and abet ing the lawless and un.
priucipled element in our state In
their effort to nullify law OF the
safe, and therefore as disloyalty to
law and completely in its criminal vic.
lation.
6. We believe high license as a
substitute for prohibition, to be not
only wrong in principle. but proven by
experience to be failure rs re-
strlctive measure, aud therefore de.
fusion and Il snare. 1t is known to be
what the saloon interests and the
combined liquor power desire and de-
mand, aud that to gain it they are
willing to pay heavily. Tho claim,
therefore, that it is in the interest oil
"irue temperance is and must be
utterly untrue. Satan may rebuke
sin, but he has never beea known 10
be an honest and roal reformer. The
saloon keeper and the good citizen are
not likely to be found working to.
gether for the promotion OF real tenn
perance. High license increases the
potency of the saloon for evil. II
places the shield OF legal protection
over the traffic. 1t takes from it the
brand OF Cutlawry, and dignifies it as
a legitimate and respectable business.
1t honors the saloon keeper with the
peoples recognition as u business
man, engaged in a lawful trade. The
license he holds assures him that
prevalent public opinion and sym
patny are on his side as he does his
work OF death. 1t is bribe to self.
ishness, in the form OF money paid in.
20 the public treasury. while mer
looking at what it does with one hand.
fail to see that with the other II take:
out far more than it puts in.
The legalized saloon. couutenanced
by the community. authorized and sus
tanned by majority of the citizens
protected by law, and legally elevated
to the status OF a legitimate traffic, },
far more potent engine OF destruc
ton than any form of the out
lawed traffic can possibly be. Oul
general assembly has most emphatic
ally declared, and repeated again art
again, that those who endorse license:
for the sale OF Intoxicating liquors az
a beverage, are particeps criminis
have partnership with, and RESPONSE
bility before God for, the crime and
misery 1t causes.
Z. We must therefore most earn
estly and emphatically declare oul
opposition to the attempt to legalizt
in any manner the outlawed run
traffic in our beloved state.
We disclaim any desire to injure Of
| aid any political party as such. w,