The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-08-05
SAYS PROHIBITION
IS A FARCE

"The prohibition question is one
that Is going to be talked about more
or less in Oklahoma from now until
the close of the FIRST state election.
This question will be voted upon sepa.
/ rately by the peope at the time OF
, the vote being taken on ihe adoption
Of the constitution, and If it carries
! Oklahoma will have statewide pro-
! hibition. which means about the same
thing that they have in Kansas"
This is the opening statement of an
| editorial in the Manchester Journal,
owned by J. NJ. Simmons. one Of the
most reputable and prosperous citi-
zens OF Grant couaty. Manchester is
close to the Kansas line, aud Mr.
! Simmons has had abundant opportuni.
! ty to study prohibition in Kansas, and
TO Judge between the claims made for
| it BY its friends and the conditions
| as they actually exist in communities
| which are not as described by enihu.
siasts mlslead by the seeming success
of periodical attempts to put ON the
lid Continuing Editor simmons
says:
Now the question IS, which is bet
ter for the state at large. a prohibi.
tion law such as Kansas has, or high
/ license?
\ when It comes TO the question OF
temperance, we believe every reason
able minded man would edvocate It
aud teach it in his home and before
public No man wCats to see iutem-
perance among our people, either un-
der The high license system or under
the prohibition law. although we are
Just about as apt to see II under one
as the other In other words, no pro-
hbitory law yet enacted by any state
in the Union has proven prohibitive.
That It retards the sale of beer and
!. whiskey to considerable extent
there Is no denying, but It always has
lacked a long ways of being prohibi
tive and always Will
"The Journal has always contended
that there is hui one way to make
prohibition effective. ana that is for
the general government 10 enact q
law preventing its manufacture OF
importation into the United states
This, perhaps. will never he done, for
The simple reason that alcohol and
whiskey are very necessary In the
sciences and for medicinal purposes
Then the s.,cstion arises Is 10 be.
ter for a state. or a few states, "a
adopt law that cannot be enforced
than TO stand with the large majority
of state under a law that can be en-
forced2 In Kansas today the depots
at every station are practically dispen
sarieS OF beer and --Nskey and there
is no way under the shining sun tC
prevent It, If a man IN that state
wants a gallon Of whiskey or case
OF beer. he sends his money to some
point outside tho state and II is ship
ped in. He calls at the depot for his
package, the same as he would call fol
repair for his binder. and no mar
has a right 10 know whether he gets q
gallon OF whiskey or a gallon Of ma
chine oil in that package. TO dens
him that right would be infringing
upon his personal liberties. aad that
the courts have always held cannot b'
done.
Here at Manchester there are ham
dreds OF gallons OF whiskey shipped I'm
We have 40 saloon nor rs there IN,
amount of whlskcy aud beer consume,
here that there was when the saloor
I 80
much drunkenness, and perhaps more
Every cent spent in this way goes ou
of the country 10 build up the tax
able wealth Of some state. aud we ge
absolutely nothing la return n pro
hlbition would prohibit so that thi
money could be saved 20 the 1cople o
the state or 10 its rphtfu owner, 4
: would be different and the Jouina
7 would say shut out the saloons entire
T. ly. But such cannot be We hayl
today and viii continue TO have whiH
key and beer in Oklahoma prohibition
or no prohibition and the man Wit
wants 10 VIII drink ii, regardless of al
Z laws ON the statute books.
l. Thus IL rs we find that prohibition
b 90 a greater or less extent Is a farce
and not what n is Intended to be o
what the word implies. We prcfe
local option To either state-wld
4. prohibition or "a high license, bu
r local option does not enter into th
g / question as submitted By the con
stitutional convention
THE question. however. is one tha
i should stand upon Us merits, and IN
4 people should stGdy each and ever
d side of IL so that they can vote IN
/, toliigantly n a majority favor hig
5 license let 9s see that the Law h cal
ried out 20 the letter On the othe
hand n a majority of the people vot
l. for prohibition let us do All that "
Il can TO keep out the joints and punis
j. the b0otleegers for We will h9y
y thea both