Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-10-31
CONSTITUTIONAL PROHIBITION.

CONSTITUTIONAL PROHIBITION.
The electors of the state of South Da-
kota will be given the privilege of ex-
pressing through the ballot on next
Tuesday, their approval or disapproval
of constitutional prohibition, that being
one Of the questions submitted to their
decision. Section "a Of the constitution
is as follows:
mo person or corporation shall manu-
f~acture, or aid in the manufacture for
sale any intoxicating liquor; no person
shall sell or keep for sale as IA beverage
any intoxicating liquor. The legislature
shall by law prescribe regulations for
the enforcement Of the provisions of
this section and provide suitable and
adequate penalties for the violation
thereof"
The form of submitting the question
upon the ballot is: "Shall Article "a OF
the Constitution be Repealed :" Voters
who desire to cast a ballot for the repeal
of the section, or in other words, against
constitutional prohibition. will place a
cross in the square to the left of the
word Eyes," while those who desire to
vote against the repeal of the section, or
in favor of constitutional prohibition
will place a cross in the square to the
left Of the word mo"
In this connection we desire to sub
nit a few brief remarks upon the issue
involved in this very important ques.
ton. While the CHRONICLE, realizing
as it does, that the manufacture and sale
of Intoxicating liquors is n of the
prevailing evils of the period, and that
the suppression Of the traffic would be
a priceless boon to society, it cannot
give its support to a law having for it,
object the suppression of this evil,
which, after being tested for six years
has largely failed in its purpose. 1t is
not a question of the magnitude Of the
evils resulting from the cause, but pure.
ly a question as to the merits of the
prohibitory law, 1t is proper to de
termine as to whether or not the sale
Of liquor has been decreased by the pas.
sage of this law. Has the measure OF
crime been lessened in the state by
reason of its existence? Has the law
been a material factor in the improve.
ment of society? Has its passage re-
suited in advancing the moral, religious
and financial interests of the state tc
any appreciable extent? And. what is
Of the most vital importance in the
consideration of this question, can it be
maintained that the law is effective in
the attainment Of the object for which
it was enacted? In short, does il
prokibitP 1t is our candid impression
that all Of these interrogatories may be
truthfully answered in the negative.
The CHRONICLE is not now, nor has il
eve been opposed to the cause of tenn.
perance, but has always opposed state
prohibition from a purely temperance
standpoint. 1t is unqualifedly opposed
to any law that, for any reason what
eyer, remains a dead letter upon oui
statute books, believing that no law il
preferable to any law, which, by sufa,
cient test, has been proven to be without
force or effect. 1t does not endorse 6
law that decreases the public revenues
and increases public expense by reason
of the prevailing free whiskey traffic
and therefore suggests the propriety O
the repeal of article "a of the constitu
ton, and the trial of a more effective
remedy to reach the great end which il
so devoutly to be desired.