Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-27
SATURDAY. .......JANUARf ~, 1884,
IocaI-Option Laws.


Delegates on Thursday last ny MI
Withers asking the Legislature 10 repeai
the local-option law. at least so lar 40 "
applies 10 cities having populatioh VI
five thousand or more. comes we COMET
ture. from the opponents OF All ies'sia-
ton on the subject.
Ii was because there was much 10 oe
said both for and against prohioitory laws
that the Legislature OF Virginia passed
the local-option law now on the statute
book. This law was intended 10 Keep 'he
prohibition question out OF the regular
elections and regular campaigns In this
state. 1t provides a means OF Keeping
"hard feeling and strife" out OF the party
contests. and Of enabling every communi-
Is to decide for itself whether 1t Will
allow spirituous and malt liquors to be
sold within the limits of that community.
To grant the Danville petition would be
10 provide for n campaign in favor OF pro-
hibition in every city Of over five thou
sand inhabitants. The people In the large
towns do not seem TO appreciate the fact
that the prohbitionists consider that they
made a great concession 10 the liquor
men when they consented to the passage
Of the existing local-option law.
The people Of Danville have had use
ful experience on the subject of prohibit
tory laws. But the signers of the petit
ton mentioned above may rest assured
that they could not put down agitation
on that subject by denying to the people
Of Danvlle the right Of deciding for them
selves whether there shall or shall not be
any licenses granted in that city.
In the State of Iowa the people OF the
various localities were n few years ago
denied the right to decide the license ques-
ton for themselves. and a prohibtory law
was passed applying to the whole state.
cities, a large majority OF whose voters
and people were opposed to prohibition
were nevertheless made subject to the
law. and the friends of prohibition Hat
tered themselves that they had at last
succeeded In banishing the saloon and put
down the drinking habit In Iowa. But
the result has disappointed utterly the
hopes of the Prohibitionists. and the peo-
pie who were denied the privilege OF de-
Gliding the question for themselves have
Joined hands with the saloon-men, and
made the prohibitory law Of Iowa a dead
letter and worse. 1t is n subject OF con-
tempt.
Look at the facts. The report Of the
United States Commissioner of Internal
Revenue shows that Iowa has nearly six
thousand retail liquor-dealers. There can
be no dispute as to this statement The
State derives no revenue from this Illicit
traffic. but Uncle Sam does. He does not
attempt to prohibit the sale of intoxicat-
ing liquors, but leaves that question to
the people of Iowa themselves. only stipu-
lating that IL they do sell liquors they
must pay a tax for that privilege,
In addition TO these retail-dealers. there
are in Iowa (under a prohibitory law,
recollect) 2S wholesalers. q brewers, 29l
dealers In malt-lquors only, and 2SS whole
salers OF malt liquors!
What a showing! How Is II to be RENE
died? Let Iowa adopt the Virginia law
and she will do away with many Of these
liquor establishments, besides deriving
revenue from those which remain. Local
option laws work out better results than
do any other laws regulating the liquor
traffic.
A Des Moines correspondent Of the Chi
cago Tribune says that the great desire In
Iowa at present Is to take the temper
ance question out of politics. and no longer
allow temperance and its work to depend
upon political-party vicissltudes. The part
nership between politics and temperance
has proved 10 be detrimental, look at the
results as you will. The same correspond
ent adds that the "dead nnd barren" pro-
hibitory law is not likely to remain I'M
repealed many years.
Is there any better substitute for dead
and barren prohibitory law than a local
option law7 We know Of none.
SO We think the Legislature OF Virginia
cannot do better than turn deaf ear to
all such petitions as the one which was
sent TO that body from Danviile. We warn
both I'rohibItionists and anti-Prohibition-
lists that their efforts will utterly fail II
they undertake to enforce prohibitory laws
where a majority OF the voters are OPP
posed to them. or seek, on the other hand,
to deny to the Prohibitionists the right to
have the sense Of the voters taken on
this important question.