The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1899-01-27
Prohibition in North Dakota.

Hon. j. M. Devine, retiring gov
rnor of North Dakota. had the fol
lowing to say concerning prohibition
in his last message to the legislature
mot unlike other states Of tn
Union we are confronted with ques
tions growing out of the liquor traffic
Upon entering the Union from tn
the various systems--license, dispen
sary and prohibitoryAthe people o
the state chose the latter and fixet
the same in the constitution ant
statutes of the state.
AT every recurring biennial session
of the legislature attempts have
been made, not only to submit tht
constitutional question to the people
but also to modify existing statutory
provisions upon the line of reducing
penalties and striking out what are
known as the equitable remedies fol
the enforcement through the courts.
All such efforts have signally failed.
The existing law and the means pro-
vided for it's enforcement, are suf-
ticient to suppress the unlawful sale
of liquor wherever public sentiment
lends adequate support to the officers
of the law in discharge of their duties
under its provisions. The law may
not have accomplished all that it's
friends hoped. hut that it has been a
powerful inprument for the proven
tion of intemperance but few will
deny. Rainy days have not the
terrors for our farmers as before;
merchants and business men engaged
in lawful pursuits enjoy advantages
Of cash sales, which formerly were
secured by the saloon. Our cities,
instead of being filled with vacant
buildings are building more, to keep
pace with the demands Of trade and
consequent increase in growth, and
general prosperity seems everywhere
to abound. But, best of all, the chill
dren of the state are growing up to
understand that the saloon is an out
law and that the sale Of intoxicants
as beverage is offensive to the good
order of the state.
1t is contended that we license the
saloon and therefore make it respect
able. and minimize the evils attend
ing upon it by high license. lam not
prepared to believe that such a policy
will receive the sanction OF the voters
of North Dakota. High license may
diminish the number Of saloons. hut
it does. not diminish the amount OF
liquor sold. 1t is easy for the theoret-
ical mind to formulate an ideal high
license law, and for the lively inn
agination to conceive it's strict en-
forcement; but experience has proven
that the difficulties attending the en-
forcement of such law are no less
than those attending the enforcement
Of prohibition.
If, for a moment, we drop out OF
consideration the moral questions
involved and view the matter from an
economical standpoint. we are led to
affirm. that that system of dealing
with the traffic is the best which re-
duces to the minimum the unlawful
sale Of Intoxicating beverages. Meas
ured BY this test, the law has certain,
ly met with a very high measure of
success.
The oft-repeated charge that par
ties can, under the prohibitory law
ship in from an outside state liquor
for private consumption falls of its
own weight, because thzt same OF
lection could be urged as against any
other system. it being a matter wholly
governed by Congress, by virtue of its
control over inter. state traffic.
The republican party, at its conyen-
ton in July last, gave this pledge to
the people: I'VE believe in the strict
observance of all laws, and especially
that no back W ard step should be tax.
en- in the maintenance and enforce
ment of the prohibitory law"
/ believe the pledges of the party
should be kept, and the laws Of
the state should be upheld. In view
Of these facts, most earnestly recon.
mend that no steps backward be tax.
en- upon this question. Indeed,
should any existing law be necessary
I suggest it be made along such lines
as will render more complete the uni
versal enforcement Of the law
0U0v "A