The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-02-02
rhe Beal Lax Eleetion.

The Beal Law Election.
1.-THE result of the election on Tues
day, does away, for a time at least,
with the Beal law in this city. AS
the law was enforced In Hillsb0ro,
with the Mayor doing his full duty
and finding violators guilty. when the
evidence warranted him in reaching
that conclusion, and with large fund
In the hands OF the Anti.Saloon
Leaue used for hiring detectives to
get evidence against dealers, employ
ing attorneys to prosecute through
the Courts. it was farce as far as
the sale of intoxlcants is concerned,
and the first was recognized by un-
prejudice observers of the existing
conditions. ."--Gazette Jan. B, 1905.
This statement has gone out over
the country unnoticed and unanswer.
ed and the impression prevails that
the contest is ended, and the prohi-
bItion of the open Saloon in Hillsboro
Is thing of the past. The Gazette
Is greatly mistaken In this matter,
the fight has just begun, and the
battle will continue until the last
vestige Of the criminal traffic remains.
That the Beal Law did not prohibit
the illegal sale of intoxicants In Hills.
boro during the last two years is no
doubt true; just as every other pro.
hibitary law fails to prevent all VIOLA
tions which it's purpose 10 to prohibit.
Does the Gazette assume that because
these laws are not absolute in their
control of crime, they should be call.
ed a farce and an attempt to regulate
the criminal action?
The Beal law provides for the pro.
hibition of the sale of intoxicating
liquors az beverage In any given
town or village municipality when a
majority Of qualified electors, BY their
votes, declare against its sale. Two
years ago in Hillsboro by a majority
of Ill the electors said that the sale
Of intoxicating liquors, should be pro-
hibited within the incorporate limits
Of the village. After thirty days the
law went into operation, and the open
saloon was closed. This far the Beal
law had accomplished its purpose
not saloon keeper In Hillsboro dar.
Ing to admit that he was running q
saloon after the expiration of the
thirty days.
But the Gazette says that Its opera.
tion was farce, who are responsible
for this condition over which the
Gazette gloats? not the honest voter
who said 1t must stop; not the Mayor,
whom the Gazette declares had done
his full duty; not the AnttSaloon
league who furnished the money, de.
tectives and attorneys to prosecute
violations of the law. These had no
hand in making it farce. Who then
turned the tragedy into farce merit
ing the scorn of the Gazette and the
criticism of the unprejudiced observer
of the conditions ? We shall attempt
to show who are the responsible par.
ties. In the first place the Gazette
itself in its attitude upon this ques.
tion has done much to encourage the
belief that the law could not be en-
forced, and by its influence weakened
public confidence in the strength and
utility of this local option law. In
the issue of December 30, 1904, the
Gazette Gays, "when the question
was agitated two years ago the
Gazette was opposed to voting the
town "dry," for the reason that II
belle yes that the law could not OF
would not be enforced" What reason
does the Gazette give for the belle.
that the law could not be enforced
If it had no foundation of fact for IT.
faith its ignorance was the founda
tion of Its credulity. There may be ;
shadow of a reason in the statement
that 1t is impossible to destroy appe
tite by legislation. That may be tru,
enough, but the means by which appe
tite is gratified may be taken ava.
or rendered SO difficult to obtain tina
the game Is not worth the candle.
There are other reasons that woul,
make the law imperative, but th
Gazette had not the courage to Civ,
them. Either the Anti-Saloon people
are set of vile hypocrites not mean
ing what they say, or the Salool
people and liquor men are so lost t
every principle of good citizenship
that they are willingt to become crimi
nals In their violation of the law.
If the defect is in the law itself th'
Gazette has failed to point it out o
suggest a remedy by which 1t could b
made efficient. The Gazette talks o
compelling the saloons under polio
regulations, to close at given hou
and shut on Sunday absolutely. Hov
about this appetite that cannot di
controlled by legislation?
If you can close saloons under polio
Regulation for one.seventh of tn
time, you have one-seventh prohibi
ti0n, and the same attention In tn
enforcement of the Beal law woul
have resulted in seven.sevenths pro
hibition, or the entire prohibition o
the traffic.
The sale of intoxicants to minors, o
their presence in places where liquor
are sold or kept for sale is punishabl
under sections 6943.1 and 6943.3 of tn