The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1900-10-27
".H -.
Major General

y NA~A4Sl Al
? 9hatter "a could not have been over
'!1led except BY his superiors and il
IS a falr proposition to give credit
to superior officers for KNOWING
what is to the best interests of the
Ia army: 2 y :Wer1pight say in this con-
nectlon that army officers are no
more tree from political prejudices
than any other class of men and not
lew oi them have been very active
n their opposition to every act of
the present administration. The
Pfohlbitiotiists make the general
charge that the 1iquor traffic was
imported into the Philippines under
I the protection and through the en-
sconragement of the United States
army, and; of course, the admins
tratlon at Washington. In this
connection All examination of Off
clal reports is edifying. The re-
sf2Grtts7r19off Gt ! Q Lieut.. Bishop of the 9th
United. States Artillery, in charge
Of the Department of Licenses in
Manila, bearing date of March 18th,
I-I9oo, shows that the number Of
places in which wines and liquors
were sold prior to the occupation
|: by the American troops was not
less than 5000. Now we ask our
Prohibition friends to remember
that, there were at least 5000 saloons
in Manila before the American oc-
cupation. The report of Lieut..
Bishop then goes to show that on
March 9th, 1900, the number of sa-
looms was only I58 besides 6I3 wine
shops. Now these wine shops ATE
native institutions. conducted by
Chinese and half-breeds and patron
ized by none except the same class.
But adding Saloons and wine shops
together there were on March 9th
Of this year only III places in Ma
Mia in which liquor was dispensed.
This shows the reduction of saloons
i'll the one city since the American
occupation. to be at least 2229. Our
Prohibition friends attempt to make
a point by:showTng the increase i'll
the amount Of fliquor exported from
the United States to Porto Rico,
Cuba and the Philippine Islands III
1899 over the exports of 1898.
There has probably been some i'll
crease in the export from the Unit
ed States but the fact must not be
Foverlooked that there has been a
very large decrease in the export Of
liquors: from Spain. This fact
seems to have escaped the observa-
ton Of tbe Prohibitionists. The
official reports Of the Treasury De-
pdrt1nent slow that the value Of
liquors of all kinds exported from
the United States 10 Cuba, Porto
Rico, and the Philippine Islands III
1909 was 81, ,468, ,817, and the eX-
ports from Spain prior to American
occupation of those Islands aver
aged annually about $4,000, 900.
The Spanish exports have now
practically ceased and the result IS
Ethat upon the whole the amount OF
Eliquor' passing into these islands
has very materially decreased.
tits doubtful, though, if this line
of argument is at all profitable. In
our Judgment the. whole theory OF
ttIle Prohibition party is wrong.
The ,prohibjtive part of it applies to
1.-the wrong end of the proposition.
.Tfe party in fact is not based upon
the proposition Of prohibiting the
excessive use of alcoholic liquors.
1t does not reach the individual who
drinks the liquor; in other Words
its penalties do not apply to the real
culprit. Its efforts are all directed ct
toward. prohibiting the sale of in
tox;cants and not towards prevent,
i mo their use. Their idea is that
they must remove tempt2tion' but
! itsee1ns. to us that, going upon the
: theory that inebriety is a disease /
wo,1d be lust as .sensible-to Close