The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1908-04-03
Gov. Hoard ON prohibition.

A calm view of the prohibition aues-
ton one that appeals to thinking
mind lis that made by ex-Gov. W. d.
Hoard, published in the Union last week:
An observation of many years leads
the Union to the belief that prohibition
passed by mere majority vote is fzze
in all cases. The trainers of the consti-
tuition in several cases wisely provided
for two thirds vote and had they then
contemplated prohibition as political
factor we doubt not they would have
made it necessary TO have two-thirds
vote ia order to nullify any OF the per-
sonal liberties of the people. 1T is pos
sible that they would not have stopped
at two thirds vote but would have
made it three fourths The folly of try
ing to force halt of the people OF q COM
munity to obey the dictates of the other
half IN matters that concern them per-
sonally has been shown over and over
again.
Ii the laws against stealing horses had
no more backing than majority vote
they would not amount to much and
horse thieves would rarely be convicted
even if caught red handed. The value
and strength of law depends upon the
agreement of the people as to it's justice.
Everyone knows that a vote against
horse stealing would be almost unani-
NOUS. The result is that those who
would shield horse thief form an ex-
ceadingly small part OF any community
and thealaw can be effectually admins
tered. The right to drink what one
pleases is primarily personal right,
whereas the right to take from another
his property is not personal right
The question resolves itself down then
to one not of equity but of force, pure
and simple, and when it is question of
force it is necessary to use lot of it to
make it successful. AS We have before
stated il substance: When man feels
that he is robbed of personal right he
may yield to force, but it would require
two watchers to each victim arranged in
day and night shifts to prevent him from
exercising that right. Furthermore if
such man gets on jury in case SINH
lar to his own he will hang the jury and
force disagreement every time.
Prohibition is therefore impractical In
most communities and by creating oppo-
sition to it's enforcement that is bound
to be effective in encourages immortality
and contempt for law generally. A man
who regards any particular law as unjust
begins to acquire skepticism regarding
the justice of other laws.
Prohibitionists are not consistent be-
cause they beg and plead for the passage
OF laws that require prodigious force to
make effective and then they, SO to
speak, go off and leave them to their
fate And their fate is usually this: In
stead or reasonable control there is soon
substituted persistent and fragrant vio-
lation coupled with loss Of revenue and
trade that neither the temperate, intern
perate nor prohibitionist is willing to
make good, followed by lowered moral
tone ia community.
There is fairness about reasonable
control that appeals to nine-tenths oil
the body polite and so long as reason is
exercised, there is substantial backing to
the administration of the law, and nc
effective sympathy for wrong doors ap-
pears when they are arrested for its vio-
lation OF the law.