San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-05-12
Tbe Daily Light.
SUNDAY, MAY II, 1895
TEXAS.
From the National Liquor Dealer.

The pious, God fearing, devil
hating, conscientious communities
of Northern Texas-embraciug
whole counties, with little country
towns that have hitherto been pro-
gressive and happy, insist upon
forcing people to be total abstain
ers by law.
The liberal-minded, law abiding,
intelligent, God-worshiping, people
of Southern and Western Texas
want neither temperance or religion
crammed down their Threats by
law.
Thus it is, the whole state must
be blamed for the fanaticism of
communities that insist upon the
adoption of local option. And the
general reputation of the state as
liberal, free, progressive state is
impaired.
What with pig-headed legislation
upon temperance, religion and fl
nance, war on capital and corpora.
tions, it is only wonder that our
prosperity has not staggered into
complete ruin.
All sumptuary legislation is the
outgrowth Of tyranny, that is the
reason why in all our communities
foreigners who have sought our
land to enjoy republican liberty
make bitter opposition to sumptu-
airy regulations
Texas was once a free state, and
its greatness sized up with the
worlds greatest. Its legislative
halls were the source Of wisdom
and law; lis lawmakers were learn
ed, brainy, patriotic men, who
understood the science of govern
ment. And better still, the spirit
of personal liberty, our constitution
and our laws contained no phari-
seeism; our people were brave and
great.
Only in these later days when
we have popinjay statesmen in Our
legislature, preachers dealing in
politics, political orders that hold
their sessions in secret, a local
option temperance law that causes
continual agitation, interference
with business, loss of revenue to
the government, and loss of man
hood to the people, that we have
to apologize for our great state.
But there is one good reason
why we are glad these things are
happening to-day. We will get
through with them before our state
is much older.
Experience and education will
eventually conquer. 1t took many
years to down teetotalism as
leading political issue in the land
of the original Puritan, New Eng
land-it is now side issue.
The battle for high morality"
to be enforced by Legislative en-
actments, has shifted to the south
ward and Texas is the last
ditch"
1t is no credit to our intelligence
that such local agitations are per-
1nitted to disturb any considerable
body of people within our state.
The defeat of the constitutional
amendment, submitted some years
since to the people, was such de
feat that it should have carried
with it every semblance of stump
tuary laws on our statue books.
The local option law of ouf state
is the most unwise piece of legisla-
ton ever enacted; permitting cleo
lions to be held at the mere option
of a county commissioner court,
For upon the petition of few voters
in any county city, town, Justices
precinct or subdivision.
And the decision settles nothing
at the expiration of two years it
Fan be all done over again-and
again in two years and so on.
Some spasm of folly-some in.
7asion of sensational politics mixed
Up with religion, carries the people
# particular community off their
eet to-day, and tomorrow they
egret it.
The large business interests in
olved in the liquor business, reach
hg as it does into a hundred
venues of trade, from the pro-
ucer to the manufacturer, from
be manufacturer to the dealer,
nd finally to the consumer, de-
frves the earnest and united at
ntion of our business people.