The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1907-04-02
THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

Mayor Perry, of Grand Rapids, de-
ivered an address regarding the liquor
traffic before a large audience Of
Christian people at the Fountain Street
Baptist Church, some time ago, that
should be of great interest TO all, par
ticularly in counties where local 0p-
ton, which aims at the prohibition of
the LIQUOR traffic, is being agitated.
He said:
There are some persons who Will
always contend that appropriate legis-
iation is cure-all for all the evils OF
the body corperate.s
Try as you may, human nature can
not be changed by legislative enact
ment. If you desire to create an ire
sstable impulse for a certain thing in
the breast Of any human being, Just
say: Thou shalt not.
III the beginning God made man in
His own image, perfect. Then he
placed the original pair in a beautiful
garden. There was but one prohibit
ton placed upon them and that was
that they should not eat the fruit Of
one certain tree. You all know the
sequel of the story. This was the re-
suit of the first experiment with prohi-
bition, and viii be the result OF all
future experiments Of the kind so long
as human nature remains as it is.
There can be no question but that
legal prohibitlonwil destroy the liquor
traffic as business. It will drive the
business ont Of sight. But will it
stop drinking2 When you take from
the business the semi-protection, that
it now enjoys, you also take the right
that the community now enjoys to-
regulate the business. Which is the
better, TO keep the business where it
is subject TO wise legislation and re-
Stralnt, or TO permit it TO become a
dangerous outlaw? You must admit
that no legislation can at once stop
mems appetite for liquor, and that SO
long as demand exists for liquor
there will always be found men who
will take the hazards of the law TO sup
ply that demand.
Il hear some one say, The present
laws do not estrain. l ask why not?
Who is co blame for their not being EN-
forced? And again: Ii it is not pos
sible TO enforce restrictive law,
which success could be expected from
one that sought actually to prohibit?
Il do not believe rh4t the money re-
ceived from the liquor dealers is sil!u--
sorry. but on the contrary, know that
it constitutes a very substantial asset
of TIE city and county, something like
10000 a year. The city'S share of
this 'illusOry' money pays nearly one
half of the'eXpense Of the entire police
department of the city. | am quite
sure that the expense. of maintaining
the police department would not be
lessened If this city was enjoying the
blessings OF prohibition. On the con
trary, L think that we would have to
have larger force than we now have
TO take care of the viOlators of the pro-
hibitory law. AS matter of fact the
expense Of enforcing the prohibitory
law is one of the principal arguments
that is urged in some of the prohibition
states for the repeal Of the law.
Prohibition does not reduce drunken
ness, neither incidentally or otherwise.
In Maine prohibition is part and par
eel of the state constitution, and it has
been SO for number of years. Here,
If anywhere, one would expect to see
the beneficent effects of prohibition in
the reduction of drunkenness. What
is the record? The following is the
number of persons for each ], ZOO in
habitant arrested in the State OF Maine
1856, 81: 1887, 1856; 1888, ia; 1889.
1856; 1880, 154; 1891, 81; 1892, IS; 1893,
10; 1894, 1913.
In this city for the year ending last
May there were arrested for all classes
of drunkenness 748 people, or, taking