Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-11-16
TALK ON PROHIBITION.
BY Mrs. Stephens at Denver a,
Wmen's Convention.

~ ,oluPai iSoH 10 dppllCdDie 10 iN''l
option and prohibition. Liquor men
wished for local option both in New
Hampshire and Vermont because
they thought it better for their trade
in each state than the then exis in :,
statewide prohibitory laws, Liquor
men oppose local option in Illinois as
they do in other free and easy hcen-,
Sc states. Mr.. Scoggin. one OF tn,
prize writer's Tor the liquor trade,
concocts some remarkable statistics
which are widely circulated. espec-
tally in license states where there is
IN EFFORT to introduce local option
saws in one of the trades favorfte
documents:
And now word about this local
option scheme. Local option is gust
simply the old prohibition nostrum
wi h a new label on it. II is an en-
tering wedge: 1t is bart held out
tn catch those who could not be
caught on the s.ruight prohibition
line. The prohibitionists could make
no Roadway in some states with the
old war cry, SO they have taken up
his local option to help them get 4
new footh0ld In one respect local
state prohibition It keeps the liquor
question eternally open: t. creates
a thousand and one local contests
instead OF one general contest. l.,
g Damoc letian sword constantly
hanging over the heard of the com
Wunity. In principle it is just as
iniquitOus as prohibition and in
practice ii is Just as demoralizing
II is an outrageous injustice to the
liquor dealer. He is constantly
| threatened with financial ruin. To
day you tell him he may go ahead
invest his capital and carry on his
business under the protection of the
| law; tomorrow you have ar election
and, 10! the man finds that his bust
ress has become a crime against the
state. And SO you force him to either
| become a criminal or a bankrupt
Now, what is, This but downright
| confiscationI legalized robbery"
utgShave touched but few cases
I but enough to prove to even the I'M
| sophisticated that moral issue
| cannot be solely local issue All
we'll grounded temperance people
know that local option is of but lit
tie real value save as stepping
stone to state and national prohibi-
I hJlt &c en-
Did not believe that local option
and the other local methods to wh.ch
have alluded are helpful to tie
temperance cause l would never re-
Ter with gratitude, as we all do, to
the fact that in addition to the large
number OF people in our country who
live in statewide prohibition safes
there are other millions who live IN
salGonless territory.
If it is right to sell intoxicating
drink, then all persons should have
the same freedom to sell it that they
have to sell drygoods, groceries ar
any other desirable commodity. II
it Is not right to sell intoxicatin NJ
drink, no locality or state SHOULD
give anyone legal permission To do
a moral wrong. We believe that H.,
cense in any form is wrong in prin-
ciple; that the sale of strong drink
is Ubiquitous; that the evils result
ant from it are appalling. Tire sa
has in l. no saving grace, and 6 say
it is a poor mans club is a libel upon
the poor man unless he is topper.
1t Is the essence of ridicule, for in
manifold cases the saloon has robbed
the man Of his money and his rcpu
tation, ana made him poor iniead.
We are, III our country at least iCo
far advanced to spend much time in
talking about license except in a
way that will help the uniformed
hat are not fully equipped TO meet
the assertions of the license advo-
cate.
One of the claims of these advO-
Gates is that prohibition leads to
law breaking; creates dives, dens.
XII chen barrooms, etc. A New York
clergyman, after a careful i!nvCsti-
cation of conditions in Maine, has
stated nat in his own state there are
10 times as many illegal places of
sale for strong drink according to-
the population Of Main. plus $1,000
licensed salSons. Chicago has about
1000 licensed saloons. Two years
ago when the license was raised from
$500 to $1,000. we were told II would
redMce the number of salojAs at
least one-half, but that claim. like
all others in support of license. prov
ed fafiicious. IT has mot rA,iuced
them Cne-tenth of one half. We arei
told that a higher license would
make saloons more law abiding and
respectah,e. On the other harl I'll
has made them more defiant aud de-
grading A reliable Chicago paper
SAYS: Chicago has neve' been more
honey combed with vice Of every
kind than since the enactment II her
$1,000 license ordinance. The sa- /,