The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-16
PROHIBITION AN ISSUE IN 10
GAN.

Republicans have Joined issue on the
question OF prohibition. the Democrats
favoring system of licensing the
liquor dealers that VIII keep the traf
hc in liquor under control, While the
Republicans favor the abolishing Of re-
tail liquor licenses, and also of pool and
billiard rooms. The Deseret News. in
its issue Of last evening, gives a very
complete though suceinct account of
the efforts made in Logan to control
the liquor traffic. 1t cannot be said
that il is pleasant picture to look
upon. But all this was before party
lines we're drawn in Logan. and when
only one ticket was put in the field at
a municipal election. says our con-
temporary. And then it closes its ar
ticle with the following:
If the two parties in Logan would
unite, If would, in the opinion Of the
News. be an easy matter to enforce,
with all necessary rigidity, the rnodi-
fed prohibition, proposed by the Re-
publicaEs; but With the Democratic
party organization in the town OPP
posed to the proposition, the Bepub-
lican policy would not, we fear, be sue
eesSfuI. even though the people were
to elect that ticket. Democratic OPP
position to prohibition would amount
to strong moral support of the violat-
ers of the law, and with such moral
support behind them, the officers would
find it difficult if not impossible to
suppress them.
All this leads up to moral IF the
people of the cities of Utah desire to
be governed in a municipal capacity in
such a manner as to most effectually
suppress vice and produce the best re-
suits in every way, they must be edu-
/ Gated and convinced in the belief that
/ by far the most probable way of ac-
! complishing this is to take their city
/ governments out of politics and put
them in the hands of business men Of
| ability and good moral character,
| Our contemporary own account Of
/ the effort to control the liquor traffic
in Logan before party lines we're drawn
shows that it Was anything but sue
cessfuI. and there is no reason to be-
heve that TO abolish party lines now,
so far as municipal elections are con-
cerned, would solve the problem for
Logan. This very question of pro-
hibition in Logan shows how imprac-
tieable, if not impossible, it is for po-
lltical parties to ignore their principles
and unite on local issues. If there is
any question in the world that init
mately concerns the people it is this
very one of prohibition. Democrats dc
not believe in it, but they favor such g
system of license as shall keep it IN
der control. They do not believe in ii
because they do not believe il
sumptuary laws.
Take the case of Logan. After The
place ceased to be a mere village an6
became a small CITY, it became i'm
practicable to enforce prohibition
There were ordinances having that enc
in view, but they accomplished moth
ing Two years and half ago tn,
question Of prohibition came up in tht
constitutional convention, and it wa
ably debated It win be recalled tina
it was opposed by the Democrats anc
that one Of the strongest speeche5
against it was made by Hon. Nose
Thatcher. a delegate from Cache val
ley. He portrayed in ferYid and elo
quent language the immoral condition
of Logan under prohibition, and hoy
that condition was greatly improved
. when the license system was institut
ed. IF the prohibition system is gon
back to in Logan there is no reason t
think that conditions viii he any bet
| ter than they were under prohibition
as portrayed by Mr.. Thatcher.
We realize how all-important a ques
ton the control of the liquor traffic i
a place like Logan is. And there ca,
be nothing more distressing than t
: see boys and young men come unde
: the influence of the saloon. but tina
which will best counterfeit this influ
ence is the influence Of the home, We
even that is not always potent to say
- boys. No -partisanship can eve
Il control the liquor traffic to the exter
I of prohibition. Experience has show
: that high license. with a strict enforce
ment of all laws and ordinances relat
Il ing TO the liquor question, is the bes
+ way to control it. The Democrats {
II Logan are pursuing the right cours