The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-10-27
OUR PROHIBITION ORDINANCE
SHOULD BE ENFORCED.

ODeuleHC6 10 law lies dI Iuo very
foundation of good society and good
government. Without it our attrac-
tive little village with its population
equal in intelligence and morals to
that of any community in our great
state, with its charming society circles,
its well kept residences and lawns,
its beautiful opera house, its excellent
schools, its elegant churches, would
not be worth living in and we, descend
ants of our sturdy, upright and law
abiding, as well as liberty loving, New
England ancestry could not have any
society worthy of the name.
We claim to be law-abiding COM
munity and every citizen of Yelling
ton would Indignantly resent the i'm
putation of lawlessness here, if such
lmputation came from nonresident,
and yet every candid man must admit,
though such admission bring the blush
of shame to his cheek, that one village
ordinance and one vitally effecting the
good morals and the highest interests
of our people, has for months during
the present year been openly, daily
and shamelessly violated.
We have village ordinance abso-
lutely prohibiting the sale of intoxicat-
ing liquor as a beverage, within the
limits of our fair village.
This ordinance was passed in
accordance with the will of large
majority of our people and has twice
been ratified by an overwhelming pop
ular vote, and if such vote be again
authorized it will be the duty and the
privilege of our voters to again record
an overwhelming verdict in favor of
the continuance of this beneficent or
dinance. This ordinance was for many
years as thoroughly enforced as could
reasonably be expected, and such en-
forcement gave the highest satisfac-
tion to large majority of our cit-
zens to all who prefer order to dis
order, temperance to intemperance,
sobriety to drunkenness with the
long train of evil habits that inevitably
follow fixed and depraved appetite
for strong drink.
If gambling dens should be opened
along our streets, our people would
rise en-masse and demand their sup
preston and they would be suppressed.
Ifar epidemic of petty thieving or
use-breaking should break out in
this community, our people would not
rest until the criminals were hunted
and brought to justice. If persons
should be convicted of polluting or
poisoning the public well from which
water is drawn for the pupils of our
schools they would be relentlessly pun
ished. Why should saloonists be
able to continually violate our prohi-
bition ordinance and escape? What
have saloons done for our town that
they should be tolerated in violation
of law? What good influence ever
eminated from a saloon? None, alb
solutely none. No saloon ever made
any man better father, husband, or
citizen, nor any son more dutiful or
obedient, Never No saloon ever
threw ray of sunshine across the
threshold of any home, Never. No
wife or mother was ever made glad by
the knowledge that either husband or
son frequented the saloon. The his
tory of the world can reveal no such
case. On the contrary, the saloon in
its influence is evil, that only and that
continually. 1t has wrecked lives by
the thousands and tens of thous-
ands. 1t has sent thousands of men to
the drunkard's grave annually in our
beloved country, has sent multitudes of
men to the gallows, has desolated
homes beyond computation in number,
and has peopled the prisons of the
world.
We do not properly estimate its
deadly influence here, because We have
been comparatively free from its
blight. Its record has been made and
should be known to all. The writer ol
this article does not desire to charac.
terize the men who have mistakenly
engaged in this demoralizing business
He desires to call attention to the in.
iluence of the traffic in strong drink
saloonists should engage in Legitimate
business, they should be encouraged
and patronized, but if they persist il
violating our good and just law, the!
should be subjected to the penaltie
; fixed for such violation.
During the years Of enforcement o
our prohibition ordinance we gained
an enviable reputation for order, SO
briefly and good morals. Why shoulC
we lose this reputation now? VIII.
) should we by the open saloon, whethe
in accordance with law or in violation
Of it, discourage people from locatin
in Wellington because it is no longe
, a temperance, order loving town
Why should we discourage the sendin
of youth here for education because 9
the fear that the evil influence of tn
saloon will more than balance the nd
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