Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1907-03-21

Mrs. Phelps-Whi
Press Supt.

the Women's National Daily, from
Washington, shows that the pro-
hibition movement is making
steady progress and national gov
eminent is moving steadily for
ward in that direction.
Take time to read it; let temper
ancc people keep posted, and per-
haps you will be better equipped
for the fight.
Washington, Feb. 28.-In spite
of the opposition which it engen-
dcrs the movement to ward pruhi-
bition is making steady progress.
In the last ten years the national
government, through congress, has
moved steadily forward in the di-
rection Of prohibition. 1t takes no
backward step. My attention is
called to the matter more particu-
larly by the recent adoption of the
provision in the sundry civil appro-
priation bill abolishing canteens in
national soldiers homes. The at
tempt to secure this same legisla-
tion last year failed, but in the
march of time it has now sue
ceeded. Last year the attempt
was made to secure a law prohib-
iting the sale of intoxicating liquors
in the District of Colubmia. 1t was
treated with levity year ago, SER
iously during the present session,
although it was not successful, but
expect to see such bill pass in
the course of time.
Beginning some ten years ago the
attempt was made to abolish the
canteen at army posts. A provision
was inset ted in the army appropri-
alton bill for that purpose, but the
lawyers found way to get around
it and the canteen remained. Then
an iron clad provision was drawn
for the next bill, and that stood
every test. Strong efforts have
since been made to secure the re-
peal of this anti-csntecn law, but
so far without effect.
Some years ago liquor was sold
in both senate and house rcstau-
rants. Occasionally, more particu-
larly at night sessions, the drink
ing of liquor was too free and in
toxicatcd members and visitors
were seen in the corridors of the
capitol, and sometimes the free
dom of liquor consumption resulted
in disgraceful scenes on the floor Of
the house. Then there was a move
ment for the suppression of liquor
selling in the capitol. At first the
prohibition was for the senate side
by a simple resolution. Then in a
bill the house prohibited the sale
of liquor in all government build
ings and on government property.
My observation is that the prohi-
bition as it pertains to the national
capitol has been a very good thing.
Any way you may put it. the sale
OF intoxicating liquors is rather
disgraceful. Neither the keeper of
the low GROCERY or the proprietor
of a gilt-cdge saloon stands in high
repute with his fellows. But aside
from what may have been the
opinion of the men who sold the
liquor, it was far from the right
sort of thing to have saloons in the
capitol building. doubt very much
whether proposition to restore
the liquor selling privileges would
receive half dozen votes in con-
gress.
Many years ago congress rccog-
nizcd liquor selling as an evil and
it's consumption as harmful, by pro-
hibiting the sale of liquor within
mile of the National Soldiers
Home in this city. This law has
been very rigidly enforced, although
occasionally ''blind pigs are cstab-
lishcd and liquor sold without
license. The debate in congress
showed that theree was quite a
sharp division over the merits oil
prohibition of the other soldires'
homes. The main argument was
that if the old soldiers were denied
the privilege of securing liquor in
the homes they would go elsewhere
to obtain it. But that argument
did not ecure enough votes to de-
feat the amendment.
The advance of prohibition in diff,
ferent states; the fact that under
what is termed ''local option
laws more than one-half, and il
some cases more than two-thirds
of different states now prohibit
the sale of intoxicating liquor.
| leads me to the belief that the time
is coming when there will b,
, enough men in congress from pro
. hibition districts to compel the en-
actment of law for prohibition il