The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-01-21

neutrality-suspicious..

IT seems that the sitting of OR con-
stiuutional convention, as one OF its
earliest fruits will precipitate an ex-
citing campaign for the introduction OF
a prohibition section. which will pro-
hibit." Now we earnestly deprecate
such discussion as always attends ac-
tim on this subject. The churches all
ways participate in the struggles OF
this kind and whenever the church
enters politics there is great bitterness
engendered and long time is neces-
sary to get things back into the old
grooves of good fellowship and good
understanding. There is no good cltl-
zen whether of the church or not, who
does not desire temperance, sobriety
and decency among the citizenship OF
the state. They only differ as to the
modes by which these virtues are to be
secured. The churches and various
temperance organizations having failed
egregiously to secure temperan ce, OF
and by their own efforts, now call
loudly upon the law-making powers to
suppress drunkenness and even the use
of alcoholic products in any way and
for any purpose. The very phrenzy OF
their demands defeats their purposes
in every instance.
Prohibition is a harsh remedy and
after a man has carried a musket in de-
tense of his country, paid his taxes and
in other ways has manifested bis devo-
ton to the public veal, and has earned,
as he thinks, some right to order his
life in the light of his own preferences,
he does not relish very greatly provi-
sion of law, either political Ortsoclal,
which provides that If he drinks
glass of whisky, be, by that act,
makes of himself an outcast, if not an
outlaw. Thus it is that, while the ex-
treme prohibitionlsts have only the
good of the masses at heart, they by
extreme measures and extreme lengths
plant in the popular heart the seeds of
a hostility which has ever, and, we be-
lieve, will ever defeat the great objects
of temperance. Let US take the world
as we find it. This ''evil'' has existed
from the first, We find the alcohol in
the grain and the appetite for it in the
stomachs of men. God himself placed
it there. Instead of seeking to de-
stroy it in either cality, let us counsel
together as tU h0w it can be handled so
that the least evil may attend its use.
Let US lead and train, not break and
destroy. Let temperance become
rather advisory than mandatory. Let
us have law Furnishing the sale of
bad or spurious liquors. Let the law
provide the standard of purity, strengh
and age of liquors, so that Gods crea-
lures obeying the appetites implanted
in their stomachs by Him for doubtless
wise and benefcent purposes, may not
become the poisoned besstiaIlzed drunk
ards, which the vitiated products of
the malt vat, the still and the wine
press of today makes of men, inevita-
ably
Let the social forces of society take
hand in this matter and
rule out and discountensnce those
who use Gods gifts intemperately.
1t has nowhere been established that
prohibition produces sobriety. On the
contrary, it is claimed by very many
reputable authorities that prohibition
necessarily adds hypocrisy, dishonesty
and double-dealing to the original sin
OF drunkenness.
Now, we love Utah and her people.
We want to benefit them, not iniure
them. We would not see the consti-
tutional convention make mis-step in |
this matter. Maine, Massachusetts. |
Kansas, Iowa and other states have
"enjoyed" prohibition. Let our foot
steps be guided by their experience. |
We must be careful while seeking only
to do good, lest we, like the quack doc
tor, do only harm. Let our remedy for the
ills inherent in poor human nature
contain something human, tolerant
and just. If Utah were only SO demo-
cratic that she would eschew all sump.
tuary legislation for score or more of
years, she will have fewer mistakes
up against her, and it is so
much easier to do right than it is to
undo wrong. The evils of intemper-
ance will never be cured by driving
the liquor traffic from the licensed sa
oons to the unlicensed drug stores.