The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-02-15
LOCAL OPTION AND LOCAL RIGHTS.

view W making OIdn a pIOOlDlblOlAI
state, we regard the intentions Of the
promoters of the scheme as excellent,
and in Offering some suggestions in
modification Of their movement, we do
not wish to appear as opposed to prac-
teal measures for the suppression or
regulation of the manufacture and
sale Of into1icant5.
The gentleman whose communion
tons have appeared in The Herald
does not agree with our opinions on
the local option method We are
pleased to give him the opportunity TO
present his ideas. He says: The local
option theory is not new in temperance
agitation OF course not. is there
anything new in temperance agita-
tion," on one side or the other? Is
there anything new in his arguments
or remarks? The whole subject has
been threshed over again and again.
The quotation which the gentleman
makes supports the views Of The
Herald as to the domain Of ''munici-
pal or local government" He en-
phatically dissents from the idea that
"the regulation Of the LIQUOR traffic is
generally recognized as a local muni-
eipal matter" yet offers no proof to
the contrary. we say the fact remains,
in spite of his dissent, and the char
tiers of the various cites in most Of the
states are the evidences Of it. That
principle has been recognized in this
Tor .a1S n nj
| its existence. It is a just principle in
local government and that is why we
suggested it in connection with this
question.
| He asks 'why not make every
Bishops ward the unit to determine
the question: if we would make tine
municipal corporation" or any zone
portion of the state however large Or
small, the unit of option" That shows
his superficial examination of this i'm
portant question. The state or terri
/ tory constitutes the municipal corpora
ton the local unit to determine ques-
| tons within its limits, and the same
with the county organization The
Bishops ward cuts no figure what
/ ever in the secular government. And
if the municipal ward be substituted
for the Bishops ward in the question,
the answer would be made the same.
The charter of the city, bestowed by
the legislature, invests the power we
I speak of to regulate this matter in
the municipal body.
! "a house divided against itself can
not stand" which he quotes, IS an
I adage that IS often nisappIied and is
50 in this case. If Salt Lake city were
to continue its license system, and
Logan city, as it once did, were tC
maintain d prohibition policy. Salt
Lake would not be divided against
itself. neither would Logan be
divided against itself. Each house
would manage its own affairs
like other houses do. And the
state would not be shaken in its unity
or its integrity.
When Utah is ga great, grand and
powerful state" seetionaHsn which
he seems to think fatal, will and mus
be Recognized" to a reasonable ex-
! tent. The state Will be divided inte
counties and there VIII be city Or
CARNATIONS, and each division or sec
ton Will have the regulation of its
local affairs Each section Will be rep
! resented in the legislature Of the state
and 5ectionalism is a feature Of oul
system Of government which is essen
tial to its existence. When carried tt
an unreasonable extent, like every
! thing else in excess, it becomes al
4 evil. But municipal government il
! cities is not such an extreme.
\ The assertions Of the gentleman
against local option would apply witt
equal force. if they had any. against
the very principle of local self gov.
/ eminent and tend to its total abolition
4 And his argument against what h
calls ''sectionansm' in the state, if car
ried to its rational ultimate, would dc
: away with Individual states and oul
: system of government would be de
! stroyed.
CHASING the manufacture and sale o
alcoholic liquids with prostitution, may
seem all right to the class of minds
which the gentleman aims to represent
but it Will not be accepted by the ma
jority Of thinking people. Even TIT
promoters of the scheme now presented
for discussion admit the right Of PEG
PIE to have alcoholic drinks in thei
own houses for personal consumption
if it is not made or bought within tn
state. They would not admit that tn
social evil was right under any circum
stances.
The notion that the license system I
for revenue only is q misapprehen
| sion of the matter. 1t is for the re
striction and regulation of sonethin;
5 that experience has demonstrated can
not be abolished, and the revenue de
rived is an incidental though importan
2 consideration. Why should revenu
from the liquor traffic be absorbed b,
the states surrounding Utah, she beini
= prohibitionist and they "wet" states
That would be the situation as to reye
nue. if the present scheme were to pre-
i vail.
: Our friend lays it down as "a conclu
: sive argument against local option i
general, that it utterly fails to reach III
main evil" That may be conclusive t
his mind and not to others. The sam
dogmatic assertion might be made i
regard to prohibition. Local OPTIC
would stop the traff1c complained of il
) localities where the preponderance @
public sentiment was against it. Tha