The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-14
ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

4 tHM
The following communication has been
received:
To the Editor Of The INDEPENDENT: In
commenting upon the situation in lows
you speak with approval Of thu action Of
the republican members Of the legislature
Of that state il voting With ths democrats
to pass the Catch local option bill, and en-
deavor to make q point on the fact that
liquor is sold in spite Of the law, and the
state receives no revenue from it. | would
like to ask = few questions and would be
glad to recsive straightforward and IN
squivocal answers to them.
Is the saloon right or wong?
Do you bellows it is right to license q
wrong? "@@"#-%
Do you respect a man or party that will
go before the people and fight q campaign
on q platform that declares for the main
tenance and enforcement of certain laws
and after election betrays the trust placed
in them by deliberately going over to the
enemy and helping to repeal the very laws
that they promised to defend?
If you do approve Of such action, how do
you Justify it? Very truly yours,
WARREN DECAMp.
It may be said first that by no fair con-
struction could the editorial in question
be made to appear as approving the &C
ton Of the republican members Of the
Iowa legislature in joining with the
democrats 70 pass the Catch law. Tt
) was the purpose to show by recent
results that prohibition in Iowa had
proved a failure; that the prohibitory
. law had been repealed because the
people demanded it.
Now as to Mr.. DeCamp's interroga-
tories. He asks us to determine whether
the saloon is right OF wrong. Mr.. De-
Camp must decide this matter accord
ing to his convictions. Tt is a matter of
opinion entirely. Many intelligent men
regard the saloon as an evil; others quite
as intelligent do not look at it in that
way. 1t is certainly unfair to say that
+ all liquor drinking is wrong and a
straight and steadfast line cannot be
drawn between the right and wrong
! sides. The saloon is the disbursinR
agent for liquor as the grocery is for
groceries.
! The law with few exceptions from the
time of the public house at the Tres Via
under Julius Caesars reign, has permit
ted The saloon to exist and has protected
it. It may therefore be said hat in a
legal sense the saloon is right. Mr.. DE
Camp may think that holse racing is E
sin, that DR.. Briggs is a hereto, tina
dancing is an offenee against morality
1t is not our province to establish a code
Q OF moral ethics or to determine with
absolute infalli bility whether he is RICH.
or wrong; neither is this divine privilege
accorded to him. Every man has hi
standard of morality by which he i!
governed. This he may change accord
ing to conditions, but under NO condi
tions are his fellow men bound to accep
' his ultimatum. We therefore reply t.
Mr.. DeCamp that SO long as the Law
= recognizes the right OF the saloon it j
right in the only code hat all citizen
Is are bound to obey. Each may satisf
o himself as to the moral side of the mat
ter and it is no mans privilege to dlctat
a Il code OF morals to another.
He asks it we believe it right to licens
a wrong. The answer TO this reverts t
the previous topic. When the peopl
declare that certain transgessions ar
l. wrong it is assuredly wrong to licens
at them. You or Smith or Jones ma
8. think it wrong to license the saloon.
your fellow %neighbors are in the maio
ity and think otherwise their opinion
" should prevail. This, we believe, is tt
is highest principle of government.
n Concerning the final interrogation
a this must be said; that a candida'
sd nominated by his fellow citizens ar
pledging himself to perform certain &C
no demanded by a convention should kec
H. his word or resign from office. 1t
IT. possible To fancy conditions where.
ne prevent IA grave social or national criai
ia he would be right in voting against h
n pledge. A thousand things to j.lsti.
such action might occur after q conve
:. ton and election. We do not belle
10 such conditions existed with certa
+" Iowa Legislators who were square
nd pledged to stay with prohibition, wi
~ voted against anti prohibltofy legislati
~ and who reversed their action ut t
mandates of Clarkson and other poll
law clans, 1t was contemplate treache
to the trusts placed in their hands
g. Their constituents.
Prairie Fire in South Dakota.
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