The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-11-08
Local Option.

At the risk or putting my FOOT IN 1t and
sitting down on bumble-bees nest, make
the declaration that the saloon is the most
damning element in our civilization. 1t
manufactures drunkards, criminals and pau
pers, and brings the healthy man down
with disease which undermines his constitu-
ton, ruins his intellect, robs him OF his
manhood and sinks him into an ignominious
and untimely grave.
Further, that liquor will be bought and
| sold so long as man lives with his present
appetite, regardless of all law. The hrst
thing Noah Of old did after planting the
vine and bringing it into bearing, was to
drink Of the wine and get drunk, because
he found 1t pleasant to the taste and exhil-
arating to the senses, and so long as man
kind are built after that style they will
drink intoxicating drinks. The appetite for
stimulants-which includes tea, coffee to-
bacco, alcohol and opium-is normal to the
human family. Dormant in some, active
in others. controlled or not, as circumstan-
ces and opportunity develop.
Further, can we stop the manufacture Of
liquor? Can you dam Niagara with bal
lot? See what risks those moonshiners
take. Notwithstanding constant surveill-
ance by United States marshals, the stream
of whiskey runs on, defying death and
damnation. Just so long as it is manufac-
tured, so long will 1t be sold, bought and
drank-or experience is a lie. Is 1t stopped
in Maine?ANo! I've BEEN there and must
contradict Dow's statement that 1t is. Is
there any place where it is squelched? No.
The stream is only diverted from its usual
channel IN certain localities.
Further, will prohibiting the sale Of
liquors stop the saloons? MOI They will
run on under ''soft drinks" and cigars for a
while, perhaps, but the worn of the stilr'
will crawl in. Will they be prosecuted
then? No! They lay themselves liable
every day they run their mills now, but
they're seldom prosecuted.
How can the saloon be squelched? Free
| whiskey will do it, and probably that is the
only thing that will. In this state when
l was boy, whlskey was cheap and grocers
sold 1t same as polasses, and there were no
saloons, and as my recollection goes moth
ing near the amount of drunkenness that
we observe now. The amount that man
pays for two drinks now, would buy gal
Ion of better whiskey than is dished up to
him in the average saloon.
Then came the prohibitory act of 1855,
which started the saloons, because ii made
| a law breaker of every man who sold liquor.
and the ordinary goods dealer who formerly
kept it to accommodate his customers, not
| caring to become a criminal, dropped out
and left the business in the hands Of un-
principled men.
1t was found that prohibition did not pro-
hibit, and after years of lawlessness in that
| direction license law was enacted which,
according to experience all over the world,
Is the best that can be done with the
! unmixed evil. If prohibition succeeds,
cities and villages where saloons are run
will be deprived of the benefits of half the
license fee which now they receive and the
sale will go on. Drug stores will sell it and
the little dives will thrive.
1t is impossible to make the average pro-
hibitiOnist understand these facts. He says
the sale of whiskey ought to be stopped, it
must be stopped and we'll keep at it till we
do stop it. 1t can't be done. All expert
ence says so, and IL special election is
called In this county, to vote on the ques-
ton, it will cost the county $4,000, and
bring endless costs to follow-if it becomes
the LAWN prosecutions. This has been
the experience where it has been tried.
There is another question which hinges
on the action sometimes of prohibitionists
In so dividing the dominant parties as to
benefit the saloon element. If New York
goes democratic, land it certainly seems SO
at this writing) it will be because of the
alienation of German republicans by pro-
hibitory work.
In conclusion the writer begs leave
to intimate that he is not wholly ignor-
ant relative to this subject, and that
WuilC uC CdDiOb DC lulldtlCdl Ill IulUS, Ub
sees things in the light of an unbiased
practical, and wide experience and the way
seems so plain in this matter that the way
fariDg man ought not to err therein. In
the coming contest, however, men will vote
prohibition because it is right, regardless of
the fact that it dosn't kill, but only spreads,
irritates and aggravates the disease.
AS an instance of how easy it is to 20
wrong in this matter, note the action of Miss
Frances e. Willard in trying to have the
recent W. g. L. u. convention at Baltimore
commit itself in favor of free silver. Miss
Willard as a temperance worker has
been power in the land, but Miss Willard
as political fusionist is delusion and O
snare. WARD.
| The Monroe Doctrine.
The Chicago Inter Ocean OF Sunday pub.
lished several columns of opinions on The
Monroe doctrine from members of congress.