Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-08-17
Prohibition VS.. High License.
To Edito, Coug.,z-Dssccz.1-

Coming home 70 one Of ny first College
vacations. and wishing to make a record
such a. students are often won't TO do.
| walked something over thirty miles
ate. train time or .h- sane day, 50 that
| had reason 10 feel thirsty az times.
Il was past eleven when | entered a
town of one renoTn for people who
feel strong and veil provided With IL
MIGRATING ferments. The only light lei.
burning II town was at Z hotel vhec |
entered. Upon asking If | could no. ge.
& glass or a bottle OF beer 70 help u.s OF
II ny journey the reply va, 10: positive
y negative: Well won't you take some
bitters:: oh no. | replied. Il am not
a drunkard." Thereupon, l partly turn.
ed and saw quite a number Of dazed and
reellng men spring up III iron. Of ne,
evidently 10 defend their title Of
drunkards Or 70 find q friend generous
enough 70 pay them a treat. However,
the happy thought came instantaneous
y that the Tisest course 1a> not 70 lin
ger there another instant: 20 ! was out
of the in a bound or two. having
but q vague description Of the faces that
had appeared before me: ali | can say of
them Is that their complexion was rather
dark and most Of their noses were bleed
ing. This disorderly incident vas one OF
the fair proofs that the liquor traffic is
not dealt with in the proper anner
First Of all, prohibition not enforced
by a responsible executive authority,
With the special duty Of enforcing the
Law to It's full extent, i, nothing short Of
aosurdlty and our worthless blind pig
gers ind great pleasure in violating the
Law and sneering at those who despise
their doings. They make use of a strong
argument: They ask Us. What can the
State do to prohibit when Uncle Sam
himself allows and protects the sale of
liquors, and besides who can stop jim
Hills old black horse from bringing US
abundant supplies | have often Won
dered. like many others. Why drunkards
can get all they want in an abusive man
ner and for illigitmate use. while all
honest, temperate law abiding men can
have nc other access to it than in their
private dwellings. 50 if they are jour
neyIng they may remain in a town where
they are unknown and cannot present
the certificate Of a drunkard, without
the liberty to touch a single drop for
months. And yet liquor is not a forbid
den thing: our Lord himself changed
water into wine at the wedding and
doubtless drank it. We should observe
regarding liquor the same fundamental,
u~nchanglng and only rational principle
that the proper use Of anything is toler-
able and advisable while its abuse is
forbidden and condemned. Were it not
for this principle. which we necessarily
and even unconsclously observe in so
many things Of everyday life, we would
never use fire arms. beauSe some can use
them to commit murder. SO with the
knife, pltchfork, axe and myriads Of ne
cessary tools and implements. Worst of
all if We follow the destructive prin-
ciplea Of the prohibitionistS and forbid
anything that when i'll used will lead to
discrepancy or shame We must forbid all
possible. intercourse and the unfor-
tunate human race is destined % be ex-
tlnct after n short generation. There
IL another ln~surmountable objection to
forcing all into playing the tetotalers and
this bears on the true notion Of liberty.
What Is this notion Of liberty?
Liberty in its true moral sense is the
freedom to do all the right and even the
wrong. provided such wrong does not
abrldge the liberty Of others to do the
the right. Hence any man can 90 to a
hidden corner alone and do all possible
wrong, provided no one else suffers from
the consequences. If someone else suf-
fers an attaint then only has civil Justice
the right and duty to intervene: but
apart from this necessary mutual pro
lection arising from the true notion of
liberty. the administration of justice
belongs to God alone. Thus we see that
prohibition radically departs from the
liberty OF our land of freedom.
The only conclusion possible is that
such an imposition is essentially i'm
moral. What reason would we not have
to denounce as immoral and %tyrannical
any society or religious order that would
force anyone into its membership, though
these societles-temperance, charitable
and religious orders Of all kinds are
worthy of the highest praise, while il not
absolutely necessary to some are never
thelesS the best promoters Of the good
by their example and self.Sacritice!
| have now said enough to show clear.
ly that one OF our laws is rooted III an
amalgamation OF false principles and
must to the honor Of our representatives,
IN legislature, be east away with all
weather beaten or detrimental tools OF a