The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-11
LOCAL MAJORITY RULE.

| ld0u 10 liic lHutpcuucAI IouSHidS li'
necessity of majority sentiment in en-
forcing laws in local governments
SAYS: eve are not going to make
any great Roadway in solving munich
pal problems, save as we keep issues
unmixed and temperance peo
pie should suppOrte more liberal excise
measures than those which are now in
force" The doctor it seems, has little
faith in salvation by law and by force.
Following this the Good Government
Club of New York City adopts, as a
platform for all organizations looking
to municipal rule and reform, the
declaration that excise regulations for
each city, town and village should be
relocated and left to the majority con-
troll of such locality, which should have
the final decision of the entire ques-
ton including the right to prohibit to
license or otherwise regulate the sale
of liquors, wine or beer, and that by a
vote of the people.
The whole gospel OF reform, as re-
CARDS the government of city. town
and village, is summed up in his de-
liverance, as sure as that home rule
is the foundation of good government.
and local option is home rule. If local
option were the law in Kansas rather
than BOWS Maine prohibitory law,
there would be few places in the state
where liquors could be sold and these
few would be only the larger cities
maintaining police force.
There can be no enterprise, no pros
perity, no national good of any char
acter or moral success where a state
law makes it possible for any commu-
nifty to be dominated and ruled against
its conviction by a fractional minority.
This is but common sense, reason and
experience.
The radical, and a fifteen years
trial, has shown it to be, the incurable,
fault Of a New England law sought to
be enforced on the enterprising and
self-contained communities of q west
ern state is that what is essentially a
matter Of purely municipal regulation,
is vested in an outside and alien au-
thority. No sumptuary or other excise
law was ever permanently enforced
in any city. at any time, against the
wishes and desires Of the inhabitants
of such city. Officers will not prose
cute, or if they will, juries will not con-
vict, and the result is diStrust and the
weakening Of wholesome public sent-
ment Even the people most CONVEX
SAINT with the affairs of Wichita have
little knowledge Of how far the late
double dealing of Governor Morrill,
has effected every interest dear to this
people, not only the political situation,
and business and property affairs and
the fellowship in the churches, but
the bread Of some seventy Of eighty
families. Because Of the denial of the
recognized right of the ma
Jority; because the many broad,
and charitable must SUBJ
NIT to the rule of the few, deep dis
content will be felt in social in
tercourSeS, in the trade of the butcher.
grocer and baker, in subscriptions for
charity and its institutions, in sustain
ing religious organizations and even
the churches and their ministers. This
is declaration of a fact patent to all,
and calls for no proof from us. It is
not the families thrown out Of employ
ment not the trade Of the electric light
men, the ice men, the laundry men, the
pretZel men and the grocery men, the
nillerS and butchers, etc, which have
been temporary curtailed on account Of
cutting off n flow of currency which
came from all the surrounding towns
Ind country to those who patronize
these. and which is no so deplored.
but it is the lasting injury which will
De detailed through anger and strife |
and revenge, to the church and to the |
and societies growing |
,ut Of the church.
No one can regret the fact more than |
Ices the writer, but there is not an in |
crest, material, moral or spiritual, Of |
his city, which can escape harm and |
injury, logically resulting from this ut-
'ide interference with our municipal |
lfa1rs, in the interest of minority
| minority SO small that its numbers
Ire hardly known to the tax-roll of the |
county; a minority who own no bust
less houses or other rentals; a minor
ty with but one idea, but a minority
powerful by state law
which in ignoring the municipal ma
ority imposes dire fines and impris-
,nment.
If any one doubts the wisdom or the
of the above radical con-
fusion, which is hardly possible that
hey should. let them conceive the fate
# any movement that might now be
made to save, for instance. the y. NJ. G.
n, to build 4 new church, TO start a
actory, TO secure any conceivable
hing Of good or value to the CITY. The
Lppeal would be met by one universal
oar Of indignant denial and scorn.
This being true. no further argument
necessary to prove the unwisdom of
he so-colled police commission law.
n the unwiSdom of any law which. in
'lacing the majority of the people of
my community at the mercy of the
engenderS strife. curtails
business. depreciates property values.
uts of outside patronage. drives
way families. empties houses and
ven lnvades the sacred precincts of
he church, giving rise TO distrust and
IL VIII where brotherly love should
lola supreme sway; not only diminish
orotherly confidence and trust. but
NNl ken tho In