St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-05-09
PROHIBITION WITHOUT EFFECT.

The practical side of the prohibition question
is pushed aside by some well-meaning but ILL
advised people who claim that as alcohol is
poison no beverage containing alcohol should be
sold-that we have no more right to sell it than
we have to sell poison, and the question of expe-
diency should not be entertained.
Unfortunately we live in a world where people
are imperfect, and any attempt at perfection
must necessarily be of gradual growth. Mean
time in our imperfect state, while we must be
governed by laws, those laws, in order to be eff
fective must be admittedly good and just laws
in the judgment of the people who are to be
governed by them. AS matter of social ethics
or religious injunction it must rest with the
conscience of the individual, and his subsection
can only be brought about by moral training or
religious influences. In law Of government,
policy must receive consideration. The question
proper is one of material benefits ethical I'M
provement being delegated to the influence OF
education. The separation of Church and State
was matter of policy, and has proved its WIS
dom. Education and gradual restriction IS the
only feasible plan of overcoming the habit Ii as
a nation we were addicted to the use of morphine
or opium to the same extent as we are TO alco-
holic drink, it would not be expedient nor sensl-
BILE to attempt to wipe out the custom by pro-
hibitive enactment. The uselessness Of attempt
ing to force a community against Its Will TO
adopt customs or enforce laws that are viewed
with disfavor by them, particularly when 1t
comes to matters of habit in diet or drink, is so
evident that we cannot understand why the Ell
fort should be made If it were possible to en-
force such laws, in accordance with the adage
that the quickest way to kill bad law is to en-
force it, it might be we'll to try it; but evidently
those districts which appear to be most in need
of the law are the hardest to make accept it.
The people of New Roads, La, after years
trial of prohibition have passed the following
| resolutions:
| Whereas. We have had prohibition for over
wear, and blind tigers have had free hand
| for the entire time; we, therefore, do not know
| whether prohibition is a good law IN this COM
munity or not, as there is as much liquor now
| being sold as when the license was IN vogue, to
say nothing OF the financial loss 10 the parish
| therefore, be it
Resolved That We the undersigned citizens
| Of the First Ward Of the Parish of Point Cou-
/ bee, and also Of the Parish OF Avoyelles, here
assembled, do pledge our support and our as
| sistance to every legal and honorable means to
| put down DEnQ Llg0ElSlA III CLLo WS@Ao e1hAo 60
prohibition fair trial. We further pledge our
/ selves to try and secure evidence against the
parties who are conducting such places, and tg
furnish the courts with such evidence and to alo
| the court officials in every way we can III Lne
performance Of their duty in the matter We
further ask the assistance and cooperation OF the
citizens of our neighboring parishes, AvoyeleE
and ST. Landry; and be it further
Resolved, That we deplore and denounce such
! state of affairs which holds us in the light Of
ridicule and disgust to our neighboring wards
Resolved, That we send copy of these reso
lutions, together with letter of warning, to al
parties suspected of running blind tigers &c de
handing that they respect the wishes OF tht
people, and that copy of these resolutions. bt
sent the parish paper, with request to publish
If such state of affairs exists where ma
jority of the people favor the law, what may bt
expected when legislative enactment forces the
law upon an unwilling community