Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1898-08-05

ANY ono who frequently attends the state
conventions ofthe North Dakota republicans
soon becomes convinced Of one thing. and
that is that there is very little enthusissmnfi :
for our appetite law among The delegassS ~
a whole. Year after year taass matter e dis
cussed by the delegates blyse the conven
ton convenes. and the whole argument in
putting an indorsement Of prohibition ii
the platform is almost entirely one Of policy.
At every convention large proportion Of
delegates-even those from counties sup.
posed to be devoutly attached to prohibition
are not teetotalers by any means, although
o great many Of them are hypocfites and
drink their beer on the sly when they are at
home. And what. then, is the reason that
each convention indorses the prohibition
idea-an idea that has been repudiated as
impracticabie by nearly every state in which
1t has been tried. and which is held in con-
tempt by nearly every nation and state Of
the civilized worlda The reason is Just this:
The prohibitionists Of the state are well
organized. They keep a detail Of long
haired men and shoft:haifed women going
about the state. from one years end to an
other, exploiting the beauties Of prohibition
and singing the old songs that have been
sung since the first fanatic initiated thA
attempt to makepeople temperate by statute.
On the other hand. the license people ass
unorganiEed. Even in some Of those ooSn.
ties that voted strongly against prohibition,
the politicians, knowing the well.oreanixed
condition of the prohibs, and the Ro-as,you.
please character Of the opposition, are Il I'll
times eager 10 conciliate the former. This
would not be 20 II the license people werv
organized, and there win never be tho ghost
of show Of overthrowing prohibition until
such organization takes place
The efforts Of the prohibs to prevent Au<
other vote being taken on the question show
plainly that they are not confident that ths
law would have q majority at the polls. Il
will be remembered that when the prohibi-
ton amendment was adopted Il did not re-
ceive a majority Of eli the votes cast. One
would naturally suppose that class ii
people who. lite the prohibs, arrosats 70
themselves about all that there Is Of virtue
and honesty in the state, would bs willing
to give the voters another opportunity to q u
press themselves on the question, especially
as the law did not receive apopular majority
when it was adopted. But, instead Of doing
80, they have used all the machinery Of their
organization to keep the question from
again coming to a vote. And they will never
allow another testing of the question at the
polls if they can possibly prevent it,
1t is true that there is q variety of interests
that are favorable to the prohibition law. In
addition to those who honestly believe in
prohibition as the only panacea for the evils
of intemperance, there are other strong ele.
ments whose principles are not as pure.
The drugstore proprietors that are doing .
thriving business in liquor are perfectly
satisfied with present conditions. The blind
piggers that are running in some counties
without giving up cent to the county
treasury have no cause for complaint. And
most powerful Of all. the liquor-dealers along
the Minnesota border are thoroughly imbued
with the righteousness of North Dakota pro-
hibition, and this element is always ready
and willing to to go down in its well filled
pocket for the purpose of assisting the pro.
hib propaganda at elections and before the
legislature. But, with all these elements
arrayed in support of the appetite Law, ~
firmly believe that there is fighting chance
to overthrow the constitutional provision
if another vote can be obtained thereon. L
does not seem probable that the people Of
North Dakota are less subject to the lessons
Of experience than those of other states that
have tried the plan and found it wanting
At any rate. if they expect to ever overthrow
the prohibition farce, the advocates o1
license ought to be up and doing, and thsy
should begin their work BY having thor.
ough organization in every county II ~
state.