The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-28

statement by the Mayor of that city
will do much towards shattering the
theory which rests upon the figures
fabricated for its support
The Boston Congregationalist
vouches for Rev. j. C. Merrill, the edi-
tor of the Mirror" as a cautious and
fair-minded man who has had album
| dant opportunities to observe the
working of the liquor traffic in several
cities of the west. The gentleman af-
firms that liquor is being sold extern
sively in Portland and no real effort is
being made to suppress the traffic. He
| quotes this in the Christian Mirror"
1.-The Argus reports that a Munich
pal Enforcement League has been or
| ganized in Portland that bodies an end
to the rumsellers' present prosperity.
The Governor will be asked to appoint
/ special liquor constables, as the sher-
! IFS and police are doing nothing and
the city is backsliding. from temper
! ance point of view. Laissez faire is a
failure every time. Our fair city is n
a wretched condition."
The truth of this being disputed, the
Mirror" repeats the charge with en-
phasis, and adds that:
Not only are the old places where
liquor is sold open, but new ones are
| being started, and not only are the
low dens violating the law, but very
many drug stores are open to the same
charge"
This is in the city where Neal Dow
has made his headquarters in the
promotion of the prohibition move
ment, an alleged pattern prohibition.
town. The Mayor, declaring that he
was doing the best he could and that
the county officers were to blame, the
Reverend editor advises him to appeal
to the Governor of the state for aid
on the enforcement of the law.
All this forms additional evidence
that prohibition is to a very large ex-
tent a failure. There are some things
that cannot be suppressed by law,
and the liquor habit or the craving for
intoxicants is one of them. The de-
mand suggests the supply. While in
tox1cants are extensively wanted they
will be manufactured and sold Is it
not better to regulate that which can
not be suppressed? Does not the high
license system lessen the evil and turn
much of it to good purposes?
And, coming down to the principle
of the thing, is it Republican or Demo-
cratic government to force upon mil
lions Of citizens a restriction which |
amounts to an infringement upon their |
rights? Is the attempt to regulate
what a man shall eat or drink or alb |
stain from a legitimate purpose of
legislation? Is not the line where lib
erty should end and the law begin, the
encroachment of the individual upon
the rights of other persons or of So
ciety?
On that rule intoxicants may be used
by those who choose to indulge, but
when they become a public nuisance,
or disturb the peace or trespass upon
others in any way punishment is in
order and should be inflicted in pro-
portion to the offence.
Utah has been saved from the en-
grating of the. prohibition fad upon
the body Of her constitution. 1t will
be more of temperance state by the
enactment Of wise and practical laws
for the restriction and regulation of
the liquor traffic, than by an attempt
at prohibition, which experience
proves does not prohibit, and which is
not correct in principle, anyhow