El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-08

New Hampshire adopted prohibition
| in 80 and after trying to enforce it
until 50 gave up, beat. and repealed
the law.
Canada tried prohibition several
years. but, finding it impossible to
enforce it, voted it out by an immense
majority.
Attempts have been made to saddle
prohibition upon West Virginia. Ore
gon, Tennessee and Texas, but the peo-
pie of those states refused to have it by
tremendous majorities.
In both Maine and Iowa public SEN
timent has long been ripe to vote pro-
hibition out. but by moral, social and
political bulldozing tactics have de-
feated all attempts to let the people
express their wishes.
For twelve years the prohibitionists
of Kansas have succeeded in frighten-
ing cowardly and pusillanimous politi-
clans from favoring resubmission. but
all signs now indicate that the next
legislature will be elected upon that is
sue and that prohibition will then meet
it's doom.
AS cure for intemperance it has
been tried in the balance and found
wanting. 1t has run its race. But
fortunately an effective remedy for the
evil has been found and it is that to
which l now desire to call the readers
attention.
Thirty years ago the people of Swe-
den and Norway were the most drunk
en- on earth. Today they are the most
temperate of any in Europe or Ameri-
ca. The change was wrought by the
Gothenburg law. Bergen, with 10000
inhabitants, has nine saloons. The
company licensed to control the liquor
trade of the city has capital of 500
600 in 400 shares of $50 each, held by
237 stockholders, comprising leading
citizens. ten of whom are women.
The law requires that majority of
the stock must be held by those who
do not use liquor as beverage. The
man put in charge of the saloon must
also be of this class. He cannot sell
to a drunkard, intoxicated man. minor.
or to a man whose family is in want.
He cannot sell to a person twice with
in two hours or to one treating anoth-
er.
His salary is small, but he is allowed
to keep and sell on his own account
temperance drinks and lunches. 1t is
to his interest, therefore to discourage
as many as he can from drinking in
beverages and induce them
to use the temperance drinks, which
include coffee. tea. chocolate. milk. but
termilk. etc. He is a temperance lee
turer behind the bar, the very best
place in the world for one.
The liquors are pure, their exact age
is given when asked for and the price
is moderate. The net profit over 6
per cent per annum on the money in
vested must be applied to public uses.
In Christiania, city of 160.O 900 popula-
ton. there are fourteen saloons, and
about SIS, 900 is annually turned over
to the city for the benefit of schools,
asylums. hospitals. parks. charities,
etc. The effect of this law has been to
reduce the consumption of liquor in
Sweden and Norway about two-thirds.
Six years ago the governor of Massa-
sent a man to Sweden to in
vestigate this law and his report was
so favorable that it's adoption was
made an issue in electing legislators
that fall. but the prohibitionists join
ed in with the saloon keepers. drunk
ards and liquor dealers and defeated it.
that they are the implacable
enemies of temperance.
Prohibition Furnishes innocent and
guilty alike. This is abhorrent to all
human sense of justice. Because one
man in fifty abuses liquor prohibition
Furnishes the forty and nine. What
would we say of a teacher who. be-
cause one pupil violates rule, should
insist upon fiogging the whole school?
There is no reason why the Swedish
law should not prove as great bless
ing. morally and financially. for Kan
sas. as it has for Sweden and Norway
If the more thoughtful and rational
class of liquor users would unite with
the temperate middle class. who gen.
orally believe in high license, and place
this splendid temperance law upon our
statute books it would end all our bick-
erings and usher in an era of sobriety.
peace and good will.