The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1897-02-05
WHOLE NO. 1858.
Prohibition Legislation.

ally acceeded fact that prohibition not opl
does not prohibit but that 1t absolutel
fosters crime. Here is what Presiden
Elliot OF Princeton college says in the Feb
ruary Atlantic:
prohibition legislation has failed to ex
clude intoxcants completely even from dis
tricts where public sentiment has beer
favorable. In districts where public senti
ment has been adverse, or strongly divided
the traffic In alcoholic beverages has been
sometimes suppressed or harassed, but neye,
exterminated or rendered Improbable. In
Maine and Iowa there have always been
counties and municipalities in complete and
successful rebellion against the law.
Inc II cidental difficulties created by the
United States revenue laws, the industrial
ana municipal demand for alcohol and the
freedom of interstate commerce have never
been overcome. Prohibition failed to SUBJ
due the drinking passion which will forever
prompt resistance to all restrictive legisla-
ton.
There have been concomitant evil of
prohibition legislation. The effort to enforce
1t during 40 years past have had some nm
looked for results on public respect for
courts, judicial procedure, oath and law in
general, and for officers of the law, legisla-
tors and public servants. The public have
seen law deied. whole generation of
habitual law breakers schooled in evasion
aud shamelessness, and courts ineffective
through fluctuations of policy, delays, per-
Jurles, negllgencies and other miscarriages
OF justice; officers of the law double faced
and mercenary, Legislators timid and in.
sincere, candidates for Office hypocritical
and trucking, and office-hoiders unfaithful
to pledges and to reasonable public expecta-
ton. Through an agitation which has al
ways had moral end in view. these
immoralities have been developed and made
more conspicuous"
Still, In the lace of all these facts-ac
knowledged such by every observing mind
that is willing to be conyinced-these un-
reasoning and unreasonable prOhibitionists
legislation which makes criminals, makes
law hang loosely upon people who other
wise would be law. abiding citizens. The
moment license is placed above an amount
which saloon men can pay and make
anything out of the business it becomes
practically prOhibitory and consequently
dead-letter law. For, understand, liquor
will be sold, law or no law, so long as man.
kind possess the normal appetite which is
created in them, and throwing hndrances
around their getting it only causes additional
expense, trouble and crime
Clamor against the Almighty If you will
for implanting desire for stimulants in the
human frame, but don't attemp. to eradi-
cate it for 1t is impossible. Tobacco-which
together with tea and coffee come along in
the same categOry-is causing more disease
today than alcoholics and costs the people
very nearly as much money, but there is no
attempt to legislate against it, save in the
form of the little cigarette, which is used
principally by children and fools. What
more idiotic performance imaginable than
that of man grown taking one of those
little 'stinkers" out of his pocket and, strik-
ing match, proceed to light 1t and distress
peoples n0strils with its perfumed nasti-
ness.
In the early days of Michigan there was
no liquor legislation. Whiskey was Is to 25
cents or less gallon and grocers kept it.
There were few, il any, saloons, only some
times a small bar In one corner of grocery
store accommodated the thirsty at cents
a drink, or nothing, owing to how much of
a bill had been purchased of other goods.
There was no money in the saloon business
singly and alone for a man could step in at
most any of the stores and get drink if he
wanted 1t. There was no treating" and 1t
was a rare thing to see a drunken man. 1t
was considered disgrace to be drunk, but
those who slide into saloons fill
heir glasses for fear they will have no other
opportunity and the result is they are drunk
before they know 1t, and some even seem to
feel proud to show that they have acquired
4 'jag"
Now If there is an absolute desire to shut
up saloons and prevent drunkenness and
thinking let us return to the same old |
way of our early statehood, which proved |
hat people will govern their appetites in
his respect the same as with food. and not |
make themselves sick over what they can |
have free as water or nearly so.
There is small probability, however, that
this will ever occur, for don't we want to |
put down drink shops and blot blue ruin |
from the category of criminal causes? Yes, |
we want moonshine every dark night when
we can use II and not be compelled to crops |
along three-fourths of the evenings without
any aid from luminary, which might just |
as we'll, for all we know, have been made to
run on time not occupied by the sun, but
we never shall get 1t, and so we may as we'll |
accept the situation and worry along with ,
world and people in 1t as God made them.
Lalngsburg, Jan. 3lst, 1897.
WARD. |