The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-11-03
Oil. ANSWERED.


The writer desires to call the atten-
ton of the public to some points in the
communication from G. L. L. in the
last issue of the Enterprise, not be-
cause they appear to him to have any
real force, but because silence con-
cerning them might be misconstrued.
IL. L. says: Prohibition laws do
not prohibit the sale Of liquor" The
enforcement of suitable prohibition
laws practically prevents the unlawful
sale of liquor as has been abundantly
demonstrated in our past history.
That is what we need in this village
novr Our law is all right. What we
heed is its enforcement, nothing more.
Again he says: "It only drives the
traffic from one place to another" etc.
The law, if not enforced, can never
drive the traffic anywhere, and if it be
enforced, there will be no place in the
village to drive it to. If the law can
be enforced in the case of portion OF
the saloons in our village, it can in due
time be enforced against all others,
and also against drug stores and other
places where liquor can be obtained in
violation of the law and should be so
enforced. No partiality should be
shown.
Again ne says: "The ordinance
simply protects such places against
the payment of the Dow tax
of which the village should
receive its share" No saloonist who
sells liquor in violation of our ordi-
nance is protected from payment OF
the Dow tax, as several of our liGIor
dealers here we'll know, who have Lot
long since paid a tax urd9r the Dow
law and who will in due time be called
upon to pay again if they continue in
the business.
Thv says he, Should we expect to
max: u Garden of Eden out of little
spot of earth like the village OF Wei
lington?" The Garden of Eden is
supposed to have been very desirable
place to live in, and G. L. L. uncon-
sciously confesses that village with a
prohibition ordinance suitably en-
forced is enjoying condition at least
approaching that OF tGe Ga:nen Ct
eden Dtit.s evil entered tie world
Why should not our ideal be high
Why should we not all jtin in an
earnest endeevor to secure the best
possible state of affairs in our village:
Our ambition should be to elevate the
morals Of our people. not to degrade
them.
The next proposition taken by @. L
L. is absolute amazing. He says: "It
is time for us TO have prohibition laws
when our neighbors adopt it," This
sentiment, if CARRIED into universal
effect, would absolutely stop all pro
gress in the world. Under it no natior
would ever have emerged from bar
barism, and under it all nations woulC
now gradually sink again towards bar
barism. There would be no furthel
use for churches, schools, colleges O.
benevolent institutions of any sort
whose sole aim is to better the condi
tion of all within reach of their in
fluence, giving all who enjoy sucl
privileges a better position than is en-
joyed by others and preparing them t.
do more effective work in the eleva
ton of mankind than they could other
wise do. If it be right to have prohi
bition laws, we should have then
whether our neighbors do or not, ant
if it be not right, we should not hav
them whatever our neighbors do
He, also says: 1--WE have held on t.
the detriment of business and tn
growth of the town out OF more sentl
ment." The statement that the busines
of he town has suffered and that tn
growth of the town has been retarded b.
the enforcement of our prohibition OF
dinance is wholly incorrect. Their
is no foundation whatever for thi
statement as any fair minded ma
will ascertain who carefully analyze
the situation. Wellington has lon
been known as prohibition town.
also enjoys the distinction OF havin
the highest commercial ratings of an
town of its size in Ohio, and is beyon
doubt one one the foremost, If not tn
foremost, business town of like size
our state. The hard times Of the pas
three years were not caused here
elsewhere by temperance laws, nor ca
we now attribute returning prosperit
to violation of prohibition laws or
S open saloons "0ut of mere sent
| ment"? If to use our best endeavors
}. secure sobriety in our village, to ell
S courage habits Of thrift and industi
i instead of lettering and shiftlessnes
@ to endeavor to remove from the your
t people of our village the tempaCic
/, that the saloon offers, often leading