Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1892-12-23

mat 6uCh q manner OF expression would
carry conviction to the Herald. But
the TRIBUNE believes that if the effort
and intent to discover a covert admis-
sion or a concealed implication con-
trary to the plain and ordinary meaning
of language, be abandoned, even the
esteemed Herald will be able, eventually,
to ascertain the position of this paper
on the liquor question-without the aid
of a cryptogram. just a few PROPOSE
tons: the liquor traffic is IN evil, a
grievous evil; humanity is frail; a
marked frailty of humanity is it's weak
ness for the cup which cheers and inebri-
ates; legislation cannot raise humanity
from this faint, hereditary and ingrained
as is its earthly atillation-to that plane
Of millennial perfection where dis
cussion could be predicated upon the
AS IT OUGHT TIC BE, instead of the AS IT
IS; legislation, to be effectual, must deal
with recognized conditions as they are,
and not shut it's eyes to those conditions
or pretend that what ought to be-, is;
there is nothing gained to the cause of
good morals in the line of tenn
perance or other virtue, by ignor-
ing the unsavory things in life;
the wise man Will not merely pinch
his nostrils to avoid the stencil of car
rion, and pretend it doesn't exist be-
ca use he can't smell tiff he can't re-
move it he will sprinkle quicklime over
it. If it be admitted that so long as
rum is to be found for man, man will be
found for and fond of the rum, then it is
expedient to admit the fact and adopt
the most successful methods of regulat-
ing the union of man and rum; outside
the domain of abstract ethics, expediency
is the basis of the safest policy, and alb
stract ethics have never played a prom
inent part in governmental science.
Expediency, then, should govern the at
titude of legislation to the liquor traffic.
The condition of things in regard to
that traffic in North Dakota under pro-
hibitory enactments is precisely similar
to that in older states which have toyed
with prohibition, not so bad as it might
be, but greatly worse than it might be.
He who runs may read the evidence of
that condition, unless he lives in Grand
Forks. But a small number of the citi-
zens of this state are 80 conveniently
situated as those Of the Queen City; even
the latter, many of them, daily walk the
straight and narrow way-across the
river. Where the way is crooked, it
but adds to lying, hypocrisy, deceit,
perjury and poison, for it is travelled.
The TRIBUNE believes that prohibition
is unsuccessful in North Dakota. It is
altogether puerile to demand "proofs" of
violations of the law, or denounce as
false what is matter of common no.
toriety. 1t believes that a wisely pro-
visioned high license law, backed by the
sentiment of the community las prohibi-
ton is not and never will be) would
"reduce the evils of intemperance to a
minimum" at least to a lower degree
than any other plan yet devised or given
a trial. The TRIBUNE does not attempt
to deny the fact that the prohibition law
can be successfully enforced in the
rural districts, but it does maintain that
the sentiment in the larger towns and
cities is overwhelmingly opposed to
the prohibition law. Call it corrupted
morals or what you may, such is the
fact and it being the fact Is the present
system the best manner of regulating
the liquor curse?