The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-08-08
PROHIBITION IN IOWA.

PROHIBITION IN IOWA.
I)wa is another State which is
held up to South Carolina as guide
on the prohibition question.
. What was the result Of the investi-
cation of prohibition there by The
Z committee of fifty? The same sick
ening array Of open violations. until
the people in their wrath wiped the
law practically from the statute
books, in the face Of a constitutional
amendment prohibiting the license Of
wbiskey. Thus is the story told
The prohibition experiment has
| probably never had fsirer lest, nor
test under more favorable con-
dititiops than in Iowa. It is an
agricultural State with no large cities;
the largest is Des Moines, which ip
1890 had 5O,O93 inhabitants. Tue
population is mainly Puritan by de-
scent, with inl erited Puritan habits
and traditions. Public sentiment ia,
and has been from an early day,
strongly opposed to iutemperance
None of the surrounding, States,
with the possible exception of Mis-
souri,, has had 80 small a percentage
of foreign immigrants. Ia conse-
qnence of the decision by the Su-
preme Court that local option under
the Constitution is barred, every
voter has been forced to declare him
self for general license or for prohi
bition. The Prohibitionist, have,
therefore been able to swell the mum.
Der OF their nominal adherents by |
representing that opposition to pro-
hibition meant subserviency to the
saloon. The cause of prohi-
bition has had. besides, the inestim-
able practical advantage of an
alliance offensive and defensive, with
the political party in power. More
than that, it was for years the domi
napt faction in that party, debating
it's platform and controlling its legis-
lation in opposition to the liquor
interests. It held this vantage
ground for ten years, a period long
enough to demonstrate the wisdom
or folly Of the attempt torestrain ar 1
govern an animal appetite by law.
The end was defeat.
To day, in the face of the Consti-
tuition, open bar rooms are in opera
ton all over Iowa by sanction of the
Legislature. Under the Constitu-
tion they are not allowed to license
them, but accomplish the same pur-
pose by levying an annual tax upon
persons engaged in the liquor bust
ness, prohibiting prosecutions OF
those paying the tax. To this miser-
able expedient have the people Of
this State been forced to rid them
selves from the incubus of free
whiskey under the name Of prohibi-
tion. May South Carolina ever be
relieved from the necessity of seek
ing such refuge.
IN CONCLUSION
Is it any wonder, then, after their
investigation ef the miserable farce
of prohibition in other States that The
agents of the committee Of fifty
were disgusted with prohibition and
came to South Carolina expecting
nothing from the dispensary law.
With some criticisms, however, after
this Investigation, they summed up
the situation as follows:
While the unbiased observer can
not fail to be impressed by the
change wrought by system which
has closed the saloons and nearly
suppressed the liquor traffic. thou
sands remain blind to them. The
political opponents Of the dispensary
authorities most often deny that
aught good has been accomplished.
The Prchibitionists will frequently
not even admit that drunkenness has
been reduced. The system never
had nor can have any ffi.iations with
radical temperance rtformers.
Memo in News and Courier.