Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1902-04-04

expected was void. No record was eve
made authorizing the election and W.
! s.Inpiy Menl tnrougn ne Ior4ll oi sotILl
I and supposed or were LED 10 believe tina
We a.sau CaIIIeO sOIuetnins, Dut when ia
I 5upIeIne Court Sol a craSk at al IL Wa
wiped out in the case OF Covert V. Nun
sou, 80 alicn., pase 0V4 ana experiment
nuInDer oi the seOona departure va
.did away ~ rest aIoLg with its earle
! " Others VI 100. and 1893.
but We uIu, aIIer aII, carry somethin,
at tnIs eiection, We carried Local option IL
our minus ano mad the real tning iron
May LIST 10 November LIST. 1897. This wal
enough 10 iast tne most oI as the rest v
our natural liie, out IL seems tnaI Others
| can stomach mole OIL IL aIter having haC
a rest oI ten years. Tins. ny trends
IS wnat 4 class as the "tnIrQ departure
ana the election oI April 9TH, 1902. vii
| DC ACT nunnDer one oi TINS series, born Vi
| a new crop Oh agItators anu experiment.
els, " 40 nave some tnlng new Ior them
seives and tnink oI course IL must be tC
dli Oh Us. NOW they Just YAM Us 10 be
reasonable about 1t, Just take iheir wore
Tor Al. GU DO TINS and We VIA SHOW the
natives in Gratiot county what big fools
IESy Jusl want as 10 IorSet every tnIAl
tAat they ever oIu IN Micnlgan since 4,
Was admitted INTO the UNION anu lolIow
,nem. just wipe out the IeCor0 ano lei
Uesln over again Tor IuL, just forgel
dn aOOut iree wnIshey from 1000 10 10,
that 0on count. Qon bother } our heaus
over local OptIon IL 1872, tnat is past.
Zane as tor your Moses ana We Will
ieaNe you rIgnt here in Alma IL you wanl
20 stay ana We viii snow you how the
sun can he Inaue 10 rise in the west anG
SET IN the east and II you get tired whlIe
We are aoIng II, We can leeG You on tenn
peIanoe statistics Tor a relish or furnish
you With a graveyard OF buried legal
enaCtlnents 10 WISH snould ou get lone
some.
-NoW my friends, what are you going 10
20 about IT. Let US be honest with our
selves. VIII you take the history OF
Michigan for over one-half OIL a century
as guide on the subject or Will you fol-
low the sayso OF some youthful enthusi-
asst VINO believes has peculiar mission on
EARN Is 10 solve the proDIem o1 perpet-
ua4 motion! VIII you De guIGeu Dy your
actual experience III TINS matter right
mere IL Alma Or Viii you nave some
Stranger 10 our history move IN and tell
as Mnat our eAperIenCe ahG conditions
nave oeen? VIII you believe that these
asIIators Of today can accomplish more
lor the cause OF temperance than the
sturdy manhood Of our early history?
Lei US reject Tor moment III 1891
Tie prohiDiuonists were strong enough,
as 4 have shown you, TO secure the adop-
ion OF a constitutional amendment,
tney were strong enough 10 pass almost
without division in the legislature OF
1905 d law prohibiting the manufacture
0f liquor in this state, IN like manner
they We're strong enough TO pass IN 1890
the prohlDitiory liquor law. Com
pare them, IL you please, the moral sup
port of the prohibition cause from the
slass OF our people in support Oh and the
endorsements OF these enactments with
The support OF a like cause and Ike en-
actments OF today. To put II more
plainly; could you secure the adoption OF
a constitutional clause today prohibiting
the legislature from licensing the sale
of ardent spirits and intoxicating iiQu-
ers? Gould you pass PROM
bitory liquor law in 1892? No ra-
tional human being believes such
a thing possible now. Why?
simply because in spite OF al The efforts
turing all these years OF our good tenn
perance people To stamp out the evils OF
the sentiment OF our peo-
pie has become less and less
favorable to prohibitory law.
This is not condition OF
things that should afford any good citi-
zen cause tor congratulation. ON the
.t,fr q Ia tor fnI oil 4
and serious meditation. The reason for
il lies mainly in the more cosmopolitan
and mixed nature OF our population. Our
cities have become more congested; the
arge influx OF foreign people bringing
with them new habits anu new ioeas
nave gradually changed the sentiment
Of our body polite 10 other
and different ways of thinking;
and the more commendabie SEN
.iment Of a native born people has
N no marked degree been compelled 10
,INe way in part 10 the people Oh other
anGs with more liberal ana cosmopoIi-
AN views. This may be the subject OF
egret but it is nevertheless the marked
enGency OF the times, and 10 1t may be |
raced the change oil sentiment pertain
ng 10 prohibition and the suppression Of
he liquor LrdHlc Dy leSaI ehdCtnents.
4 then in 1895 with such marked senti- |
nent IN favor OF prohiDitory law you |
;ould not enforce 1T, what rational, hu- |
nan being believes you could 90 1t to- |
.ayY IL with such a sentiment in sup
ort OF such legislation from 1850 to ISIS. |
ne evils % intemperancs constantly in |
:reased and the sentiment in support |
,f such legislation constantly decreased, |
lntil from a sense OF self preservation
We Wiped IL out what rational. human
being can successfully argue that today |
with much weaker public sentiment
n support of such measures. that you |
AN reverse the legislation taught BY
lfty years Of Michigan history and make |
1 success now? My friends, none but |
impracticables and agl- |
ators can or viii believe it. And still /
recognize that there are those who from |
high sense OF moral obligtion feel 1t a |
luty to support the measure today. To /
,uch 4 appeal. AnQ my appeal is: Do |
,ot divorce this subject from the les
ons taught by our history and by our
,ctual experience within the memory Of
many OF Us. You cannot afford to do ii. /
our beautiful village cannot afford to /
10 it. In the interest Of morality and