Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-09-01
UNDER AN ALIAS.
Which Is the Better Mode of Rcguia-
tion. One That Regulates or
One That only AEitatesf


In his reply to the argument OF Rev.
II. a: Boaz for lQcal option made at the
Moody tabernacle Friday night Mr., I.
q. Senter departed from the beaten
path OF the discussion. The following
Is a brief synopsis of his remarks'
There are two classes of people In
the world, physicians ana patients, and
the doctors threaten to outnumber the
sick With 50 many panaceas for all
diseases, and so many new diseases
constantly being added TO the mis-
fortunes of the human race the pru-
dent man makes careful investiga-
ton before he accepts the diagnosis
OF his case and the remedy proposed
for It. What is the nature OF the dis
ease2 Who is the doctor? Has his
medicine ever been testede To proceed
with this investigation. the speaker
submitted hve propositions as the basis
OF his argument:
]. That prohibition is guilty OF false
pretense In the choice OF name. 1t
does not propose TO prohibit the sale
or use OF intoNlcants. but to regulate
such sale ana use.
2, That the issue now pending In be-
tween two forms OF regulation, ono
that is the product of gradual develop
ment, and the other the result OF re-
llglous feryor.
Q, That the existing method OF regu-
latlon Is more severe and more effec-
tive in practice than the method pro-
posed.
4. That prohibition is an illogical
and unsoieniiilc plan for the regulation
| Of the liquor traffic. and that 1t Is
thoroughly dlseredited by the agRge-
gate results OF experiments with H.
o. That the principle Of local option
! Is violativc of the political and relig-
ious rights Of the citizen.
! This new-fangled medicine for social
4 ills, said the speaker, is travelling un-
| der an alias, which Is always good
[ grounds for suspicion, Its name Is
/ fashioned in deceit II Is called proh-
/ billion, yet It does not propose TO pro-
hihit but TO regulate, II the so-called
| prohihitory law were entitled reguln-
| ton and submitted together with the
| present system OF regulation its abb
surdlties and weaknesses, stripped OF
the mask OF false pretense, would be
so plain that It's most radical advocates
would flock to the support VI the pres
/ ent system beeHuseof its greater se-
/ verify. The saloon Is not an issue In
| this campaign. The grade OF the saloon
Is an issue, and the method OF regula-
ton to be applied TO H.
Local option provides for the sale Of
| intOXioants, license does the same
thing. The question as 1t relates to
eNpedlency U.s. which system has the
strongest and most efficient safeguards
against the evils OF intemperance?
Which is the best system OF regula-
| tom
1ntemperance Is no new evil. The
world has been battling against II
since the days OF Noah. and the system
of regulation We have today represents
| the sum total OF It's wisdom, its states
/ manshlp and Its experience. Like all
/ enduring systems Of social adjustment
/ It is not q hastily improvised scheme,
u.aa a. L. u..a. 4 a a.
| The object that has been faithfully
| kept IN View from age TO age has been
TO check as far as possible the evils
| Of intemperlncc, This system has the
/ Endorsement OF the most enlightened,
the most progressive and the most viz
tuous nations of the world.
The speaker reclted the ouerous pro-
Visions OF the existing law showing
/ that the traffic in Intoxicating liquors
| is hedged about with all of the restric-
/ tons that could be conceived of in the
Jealous brain. Wife, daughter or sis
! ter may put veto upon sale. a minor
may not enter the saloon. These regu-
| latlons are more faithfully enforced
than amy other laws upon the statute
! book. Unlike other men engaged in
! business the saloon keeper Is put un-
| dor heavy bond 10 keep the law relat-
/ Ing to his business. The operations
OF this system In Fort Worth approve
It's wisdom. The speaker here referred
/ 10 the development Of the educational
/ and religious interests of the city
/ within the last decade us proof that
the patient Is not in such u bad way as
| Is claimed by the local option doctors
We are now asked TO abandon this
| tine-trled method of regulation for
an experiment that has not even the
merit Of novelty, but that comes TO us
under a cloud OF universal condemna-
/ that l.tY tho .,f
witnesses has proved q wretched fail-
ure in nearly all OF the communities
| In which It has been tried. This, 1t is
| true, is denied, but u circumstance that
outwelghs all Othere evidence IS the
fact that local option does not endure
in towns and cities.
II does not keep It's fair promises,
and the people vote 1t out. There Is
not a city In the land with local on
ton, and there is not city under
state prohibition where the law is not
an admitted failure.
No sick man could be induced 10
take medicine whore there was 10
much evidence OF Its Injurious effects
as has been accumulated against pro-
hibitlon. and II would not overcome
his fears 10 produce the testimony OF
some crednlous patients that they did
not experience such results. Every
fact Of record. said the speaker, Is
ukdlIihN HANHApihiNlls AhhFhAGHuEtlAh
voted 1t out after fve years test,
during which the convictions for
drunkenness outnumhered those OF the
succeeding Ave years. under license, By
$4,000. Prof. Goodwin Smith made
careful investigation OF the Workings
OF local option In Canada, showing
that Il has proved a disastrous failure
there. More than one-half OF the coun-
ties and towns OF this country that
have adopted local option within the
last decade have voted II out, the az
gregate OF the majpritles IN such cases
Indicating the marked disgust OF The
people. Atlanta. Ca. gave II u trial
and dropped n at the first oppOrtunl-
~. Gov. Morrill, Of Kansas apologized
a few days ago for the ulsgraceful
state Of affairs In Kansas cities. where
the saloons are running wide open
with the published declaration that II
was impossible TO enforce the law IN
cities. In Topeka, the capital Of that
state, tile number OF convictions In
the police court for drunkenness dur
ing February, March, April May and
June OF the present year was 2i5. and
FOR the same period the convictions for
drunkenness In the city court OF Fort
Worth numbered iss. The oilieial sta
81, 90 ha a the