The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-01
Prohibition.

BY an exceedingly light vote indica-
tive of slight popular interest in the
matter the people of the Dominion of
Canada have registered a small major
ity in favor of the enactment of law
prohibiting the importation, manufac-
ture and sale of intoxicating bever-
ages. The plebiscite is not legally
mandatory upon the Canadian parlia-
ment, and the fact that a large ad-
verse majority was returned in the
province of Quebec, in which the par
lament sits, is taken even by the Pro-
hbitionist leaders themselves to war
rant doubt as to whether the desired
legislation will be enacted. The Pro-
hibitive theory, however, undoubtedly
gains prestige from the returns and we
may expect it to figure more promin
emily than heretofore in Canadian poll
tics.
In this country while the doctrine of
statutory prohibition has many earn
est, sincere and respectable advocates
the number of these has not grown
with sufficient rapidity to point to an
early trial of the experiment on large
scale. OF the more than one million
voters in Pennsylvania, for instance,
only about 10000 believe in Prohibition
as distinct party issue, and this num-
Der has in the past decade remained
almost stationary. At times the Pro-
hibition vote has shown rapid jumps,
as in the case of DR.. Swallows candi-
dacy one year ago. But this is explic-
able without regard to the doctrine of
Prohibition as a party issue; and it is
noticeable in the present campaign that
| although DR.. Swallow is running for
office on the Prohibition party ticket
he is holding the doctrine of Prohibi-
tion in the background and appealing
for popular support almost exclusively
upon the platform that the present
officials of Pennsylvania are pack of
hypocrites, embezzlers and thieves.
Should he be elected and try to use
his influence as governor to further
the enactment of prohibitory legisa-
tion his support would fall immedi-
ately to almost If not quite the former
proportiOns;in other words, he would
That a majority of the citizens of
both Canada and the United States
would rejoice to see the evils of in
| temperance rooted out is simply to say
that they are intelligent and moral
| Their reluctance to attempt such a
| reformation through separate political
| action arises from appreciation of the
fact that the machinery thus suggested
Is inadequate. A prohibitory law put
| on the statute books but so generally
violated as to lack effectiveness would
| represent rather a loss than a gain to
public morals. On the other hand. at
tacks upon intemperance through nom
partisan methods, as by education in
the schools showing it's evils, moral in
! fiuences and suasion by church and
| home and organized social effort to
| guide Alright individual action and at
| titude with respect to overindulgence
| in strong drink are shown by statis-
tics to be succeeding steadily. There
Is far less intoxication in proportion to
| the population today than there was
| twenty, ten or even five years ago, and
the moderation of liquor drinkers is in
creasing yearly.
Continuance Of the agitation for pro-
hibitory legislation no doubt acts as a
stimulus to temperance reform work of
other kinds and is not, therefore, with
| out value yet as a panacea it is, in
itself, under present conditions, obvi-
ously hopeless.