The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-08
SHALL WE VOTE ON STATE PRO
HIBITTON?

eigh last Sunday night, Governor Glenn
said that if State prohibition were
submitted to the voters of North Caro-
lima he believed that it would win
by majority of from $4,000 to 1907
900, and pledged that he would speak
in every county in North Carolina and
use the strength that God has given
me to win this battle for temperance"
Answering the question whether pro-
hibition would prohibit, Governor
Glenn is reported to have said:
you have all heard the old cry
that prohibition will not prohibit; blind
tigers and all forms of unlawful sale
will flourish. Prohibition can be en-
forced as effectively as other laws are.
Let the officers of the law, backed up
by the moral sense of the community
and the cooperation of good citizens,
do their duty, let the men who break
the law be sentenced to the roads and
let no governor grant them a pardon
and you will have prohibition in full
force.
Il have seen prohibition that did
prohibit. 4 have just returned from
the New England States, the home of
my observation and inquiry prohibl-
ton is a success. L travelled thousands
of miles, visited the fairs in those
States, and in all that journey l never
saw but three intoxicated men. On
the other hand, abstinence from drink
is the rule among those people, saw
them tested. / saw fourteen young
men. strong, healthy and prosperous.
offered on one occasion champagne by
a Southern man, be it said to his
shame, but 1 was glad that he was
not a member of our party, and every
one of the fourteen declined, saying
that they used no intoxicants.
Vermont Returns to Prohibition.
Some one will ask, How about Yer
mont? That State had prohibition
for fifty years, and two years ago the
people voted it out and substituted
local option Yes, that is true, but
have YOU heard the result? L talked
to the governor of Vermont, an excel
lent Christian gentleman, about the
condition there, and here is what he
told me: Two years ago. because of
abuses of the law in some places, the
people of Vermont threw off prohibit
ton. AS a result seven cities in that
state voted to grant license to sell Ii
ouor So disastrous in every way, so
the Governor of Vermont told me-
has been the effect on those cities that
five of the seven have now voted out
the saloons and returned to prohlol-
ton and it is only question OF
short time before the other two cities
do the same thing and Vermont VIII
again be a prohibition State. i thank
God that after two years experience
Vermont will go back to prohibitlon'
These declarations Of the Governor
and pledge to canvass the State for
prohibition if the issue is submitted to
the people have caused some discus
sion among the temperance men as
to the wisdom of asking the next Gen.
eral Assembly to submit the question
to the voters of the State. There IS
difference of opinion among them as
70 the best course to pursue many
holding that ii is the part OF wisdom
to hold on to present methods rather
than ask for a state election. Under
the laws now in vogue, three-fourths
of the counties in the State are pro-
hibition counties. In the remaining
fourth there is not still i'll any rurai
district and no still iii any place in
more than ten counties, and there is
not a saloon except in an Incorporated
town. The number of saloons has ma
terially decreased within the past four
wears, and in this year the temperance
forces have won in every election eX-
cept one or two. The temperance
progress has been wonderful and has
come without political revolution or
change The opponents of legislation
have nearly all come to see that what
has been done has been of benefit and
acquiesce i'll the legislation, even if
they do not approve.
The immediate duty of the temper
ancc forces is to enforce the present
laws and punish men who violate
lations of any temperance legislation
more than of other laws because of
the feelings and appetites of many
people. But the authorities can en-
force such laws and stop most abuses
if the public sentiment demands 1T.
Is it not better to expend all the EN-
ergies of the temperance forces during
the next few years in holding and
making permanent what has been won
than to go into fight for a State
prohibition law? That is a question to
which there will be two answers by
conscientious temperance men. If
three fourths of the counties have be-
come dry under present laws, will
not the others gradually he brought to
prevent the liquor traffic bv the strong
local sentiment in each? Will not real
temperance and enforcement be pro-
NOTED more by winning town here
and there (the country districts arc
all dry) than by voting blanket prohi-
bition at this time on the whole state,
even if it is certain that the State
would vote prohibition? These are
questions which the temperance forces
should seriously consider before en-
tering upon a crusade for an election
on State prohibition. II all are agreed
that the cause of real temperance and