The Daily Texarkanian., 1895-02-20
THE PROHIBITION QUESTION.

The TT. Smith Elevator and Ed.
W. p. Throgmorton, of that city,
are having a discussion over GER
tain bill introduced in the legisla-
ture by one of the representatives
from Sebastian county, In discus
sing the bill the question of the
prohibition of the liquor traffic is
also discussed, The Elevator in re-
ply to Elder Throgmorton has the
following to say as to its position on
prohibition;
GAS to the Elevators position on
prohibition, it stands just the same
as it did last fall, when it advocated
license, because its editors knew
that prohibition did not prohibit in
any country, and because it favored
licensed saloons in preference to
"blind tigers" and clandestine whis-
ky peddlers, because it believed
prohibition was a breeder of crime
and was a bad thing for the morals
of any community"
OF course we editors do know
some things, but, like other people,
are sometimes mistaken, 1t is not
pleasant for us to correct bro
ther editor or indeed any one else,
but when we think duty demands it
we do it. The Elevator says its edi-
tor knew that prohibition did not
prohibit in any country, 1t is grant
ed they believed it, but we beg
leave to inform them that they did
not know it. Prohibition PROHIBITS
in Franklin county,
People differ in their preferences
in great many things, Some pre-.
fer good things and some prefer
bad things. We prefer 'blind IT,
gers to those that can see. The
larter are capable of doing more
harm than the former. Neither
can "clandestine whisky peddler"
do as much harm as one who is au-
thorized by law to sell. All the
crimes committed are forbidden by
law, Do you think crimes would be
decreased by repeating the laws
which prohibit them2
The Elevator believes prohibition
is 4 breeder of crimes and is bad
thing for the morals of any com.
munity. 1t is amazing to see such
expressions from an intelligent
source How about the liquor traf-
fc? If the editors of the Elevator
could behold the aggregated sor-
row, destitution, crimes and deaths
the liquor traffic has bred within
the bounds of Fort Smith during
the last fifty years their faces would
blanche with fright and their blood
chill from the horror of the awful
scenel
TO be sure there are great many
things that the editor of this paper
can't comprehend but one of the
most difficult Is, that any one can
believe that a law to suppress an
evil is productive Of more harm than
the evil itself
And there is another thing that
battles our understanding, and it is
this; That those who favor the Il.
quor traffic know 50 much better
than the great majority Of Chris
tiaus what Is best for the morals Of
community II those who favor
saloons are better judges than the
preachers Of what Is best for the
morals of a community, the preach
ers have no mission on earth and
had better subside, We believe the
preachers, as whole, are reliable
Judges as to what Is or Is not good
for the morals Of a community,
In our opinion Elder Throgmor'
ton is right in his opposition to the
liquor traffic, He Is courageous
and grand man, and the Christians
and moralists of TT, Smith and
community ought to stand by him
to the last ditch, - Ozark Demo
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