The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1896-11-20
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paign. We do not believe it will
come through the Prohibition party,
either, but that one or the other of
the old parties, most likely the Re-
pubicans, will take it up and force it
to the front. Even now the ques-
tion is causing considerable comment
in places where it has generally been
ignored, and in our exchanges we
note occasionally a sentiment hardly
recognized by those who give it ex-
preston, bearing out The assertion
we have made. The question is one
as old almost as the race. We can
follow it back to Lots time, or fur.
ther, and the pages of profane his
tory are filed with it. Bacchus with
his champagne drunks, and Silenus
paralyzed on sUale beer, or stronger
alcoholic mixtures, are examples
taken from the Grecian mythology,
while every nation of which we have
a history has something concerning
those who liked a swig at the old
demijohn. The sacred volumes of
every religion PROFOUND against it;
the Bible, the Alcoran, the Zende-
vestas, all point to liquor as an injury
to the race. But in spite of this, man
will have it.
With the Mohammedan it is made
a crime to drink wine, punished by
being prevented entering into Para
disc; yet your noble Turk is genu.
inc lusher. The blue laws of Maine
absolutely prohibit its sale; but it
can be found in perhaps not every
hotel, but certainly plentifuIly
enough. Sweden and North Caro-
lima have tried going into the business;
but that does not stop it.
The general custom has been, and
is, to license it, and thus gain reVe-
nue. for allowing to be carried on
openly what it cannot prevent pri-
Vately. The teachings of religion
are against its use, but on the other
hand, the poet apotheosizes it as the
avaLar of Pleasure. Fill high the
bowl with Samian wine," sings By
ron. "Man being reasonable must
get drunk; the best of life is but in
toxication," sings another bard, and
the great mass of the populace take
kindly to poetry in this case.
The ProhibItionist wants the use
of liquor stopped, but he Is small in
number, even though strong in faith.
Opposed to him is the greater masses,
who object to the abuse, but not the
use. These show faith, but little
wisdom, for if the abuse could by any
means he discovered from the use,
there would be no liquor question.
In just what shape it is to be
brought before the people as polit-
ical question cannot be foletold, but
as an observer of the signs of the
times. we predict that 1t will be so
brought forward. Anent all this
discussion, we heald a gentleman the
other day discussing this very ques
tion. We might add that he is not
a Prohibitionist,-- and his idea was
certainly unique. He thinks the IS
sue will come in the shape of taking
the internal revenue off the manu-
facture of alcohol, and the doing
away with license of all kinds. This
would put whlskey in the market at
from ten to twenty cents per gallon,
and in our trends opinion, it would
then be so cheap that no one would
drink it. Beer would also be very
cheap and would drive out all other
stimulants, and at the same time fall
into disuse itself.
We do not pretend to say what
effect any law may have on the ques-
ton, but we do insist that it is to be
the next political issue. AL! such
laws as we have made, all such laws
as any civilized country has ever