The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1908-04-03
REVERSED IT'S POLICY
CHANGED PLAN OF CONTROLLING
THE SALOON.
EXPERIENCE WITH PROHIBITION

For Ten Years Iowa Wraneled over
the Enforcement Of Statutory Pro.
hibition and at Last Gave II Up and
Adopted License Statute.
Doubtless nine men out of ten In
this state are of the opinion that Iowa
still has constitutional prohibition OF
the manufacture and sale of intoxic.
ating beverages. This may be due
to the fact that in the great contest
| seventeen years ago between the ad-
vocates of prohibition on the one hand
and those OF local option on the other,
the prohibitionists everywhere point
ed TO Iowa as the chief exemplar OF
their doctrine. But the whirligig OF
time wrought its changes, Iowa long
since doing away with statutory pro-
hibition.
Something like a quarter Of cen
fury ago the people OF Iowa amended
their state constitution by adopting
an article prohibiting the manufact-
ure and sale of liquors as beverages,
and requiring that suitable laws be
enacted to carry out the intent OF the
new amendment They thought that
such laws could be enforced and that
time would demonstrate their wisdom;
that public sentiment would always
demand the rigid enforcement OF such
sumptuary legislation. II took about
e., In, tn AZ
illusion During that time there was
constant growth of sentiment in the
minds Of impartial men that the law
was impracticable and therefore i'm
possible Of enforcement. Evidences
of its evasion were found in every
community. When the great campaign
in Nebraska was at its height. the ad-
vocates of local option sent over into
| Iowa for testimony to prove the fact
of countless evasions and violations,
which not only reduced the popular
respect for law but subjected nearly
every community to constant annoy
ance and turmoil in efforts to put
down a clandestine traffic which was
encouraged and abetted by many OF
the strongest men in every community.
These facts were laid before the vot-
ers of Nebraska only to be denied by
the prohibitionists who cOntended that
the law was strictly enforced in Iowa
and that the sale of liquor had been
stopped.
Six wears after the issue had been
settled in Nebraska by the enactment
of the Slocumb local option license
law the people of Iowa manifested a
desire to try some such means of re-
gulating the saloons of that state.
The good reports from Nebraska led
many Iowans to believe that the prin-
ciple of local option as applied to sa-
loon regulation was the true one.
,, There was such marked change OF
sentiment that leading men were
prompted to move for a change.
While the constitutional amendment
was declared void by the supreme
court in less than a year after its
adoption. the Legislature enacted
statutory prohibition in 1884 and after
ten years of abortive efforts to enforce
| it the legislature passed the mulct
tax law. which is a local option. high
| license regulation substantially like
the Nebraska statute, differing only
in minor particulars. For fourteen
years this high license law has been
] in force and effect in Iowa and its
success is a matter OF record. Under
its provisions any community may by
vote ordain absolute prohibition, or
not, at will 1t marks the settled
policy of the state in respect to the
regulation of the saloon and the man
ufacture of intoxicants, for 1t legalizes
the exercises of local option, which
means that any community may en-
force popular sentiment on the sub
ject.
When Iowa enacted the mulct tax
law it completely reversed its policy
in the matter of regulating the saloon.
so-called Slocum law in Nebraska,
Abandoning the principle Of prohibit
ion the people of that state were glad
to adopt the principle OF the license
tax for application in communities at
the option of the majority of voters.
And this is the vital principle OF the
which has been quoted all over the
United States as the best means Of
regulating the saloon known to the
statutes of any commonwealth.
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