The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-02
STILL UpRou1n1T1ox,.

Our Dr0hibitionist correspondent is
granted today further space in The
Herald to present his views as to
what ought to be done about the liquor
question on the entrance Of the new
state into the Union.
When The Herald expressed it's
opinion that each city and county
Should determine its own local policy,
and that the distant rural districts
should not be given power by their
votes on this question to dictate the
municipal course of Salt Lake city,
our friend airily remarked that local
option was not new. Nobody claimed
that it was. It's novelty, or its an
tiquity was not the issue. Now, the
gentleman comes at us with an old
argument from prohtbitionist publ
cation
That would not matter if there was
anything in it which touched the vital
point. Of our position. as matter of
straws. very old and dilapidated
straws at that. SO that they might be
blown down by the wind Of prohibi
ton.
They are not arguments presented by
The Herald. We do not adopt them.
If the gentleman likes to bring for
ward hypothesis for the pleasure of
showing how they can be overturned,
! that viii do for his amusement, per-
haps, but 1t may as we'll be under
stood that they are not the utterances
! or the opinions of The Herald or any
other paper in this region.
"The crirne-side of the liquor traffic
is denied" Certainly. When prohibit
tionists place in the catalogue Of
crimes the business of buying and
| selling commodities that are in demand
and which millions of people regard as
| necessary to their comfort and some
/ to their health, those fanatics are as
| Incorporate in that way as inebriates
/ are in another. They may make strong
arguments against the liquor traffic as
matter Of public policy. but the
/ -.crine-side'' Of the business has no
! existence except where it is made a
public offence by statute. 1t is not a
| crime per sc.
That law is subject to change or
repeal is no sign Of a defect in the
system which makes it so. Does the
! gentleman want unrepealable, irreyoc-
able statutes, a revival Of the alleged
methods Of the Medes and Persians?
/ Just as weak is the reasoning that
local option is wrong because it is nom
partisan. That is very peculiar politi-
cal logic which concludes that al laws
that are non-partisan must be ''politi-
/ caly helpless and unresiSting.' ana be
/ led away to be crucifed.' To our
/ mind laws ought TO be non-parti5an
/ and would be the better and the
/ stronger on that account.
/ One of the alleged objections TIC
I local option is that it would not stop
4 the Importation Of liquor as a beyer-
age. Well. would the project our pro-
I hibitionist friends desire to present
/ stop the importation of intoxieants as
I a beverage? Not at all. It proposes
TO stop the manufacture, sale and CIV
! ing away of those articles "as a bever-
! age by the state but importations
for private and personal consumption
4 could so on, ad hbitun- The outside
states and territories would get the
4 revenue and Utah ell the evils which
i the prohibition article assumes are
i entirely the effects Of the liquor traf
! fie. but which arise from different
! causes and among them the oyer-in.
4 diligence in alcoholic stimulants.
j The whole string OF assumptions II