The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-07-10
Discussing the Liquor Question

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+ + + + + 4. + i. i. 4. + ++|
+ ARTICLES under this heading 1.
+ are nearly all contributed in 4.
+ response to our invitation to +
+ the public to discuss the sub +
I. ject with the view of helping 1.
+ to solve the liquor problem, +
+ rather than keep up an argu- +
+ ment. Some of the writer's are +
+ willing their names should be 1.
+ used with their articles, while i.
+ others prefer that they should +
+ not-not because they are +
+ ashamed of their views, but be- 1.
+ cause they do not care to be +
+ in the lime light.-Editor.) +
+ - + + !. + i. + + + i. + + + + +
LOCAL OPTION.
In "a government of the people,
for the people and by the people,"
local option is of necessity the cor
nerstone.
The locality may be more or less
extended ranging from a New Eng
land town meeting to an amendment
to the constitution of the nation, but
the "option" or opinion of the peo-
pie, properly expressed is the deter
mining factor.
Given any condition of affairs in
this country changes an effected al
ways and solely through "local OPP
ton" A state election is simply the
expression or exercise of an option
for that locality-local option.
Hence it is misapprehension to
assume that local option when ap-
piled to the liquor traffic is an ino-
walton or departure from our usual
and ordinary method of governing
by the people. 1t is rather a resump-
tion of the 'option" by the people
themselves which is the perfection
of government by the people The
steady tendency of development un-
der our system of government is
towards the exercise of "option" by
the people rather than by represent
atives as witness the movement for
the election of U. S. snators direct
ly by the people. No thoughtful cit
izen who urges the propriety of sub
uniting prohibition amendment to
the option" of the voters of the
state can logically argue against a
county exercising an option to pro-
hibit liquor within it's limits. In both
cases it is local option, the only dis
tinction being in the extent of the
locality This iteration of kindergar-
ten principles is made necessary by
the careless assumptions so freely
exhibited in papers and speeches that
any expression of the peoples con-
victions is possible apart from local
option. Hence some blindly assert
that prohibition is all right while
''local option" through which pro-
hibition is obtained in this country,
Is all wrong. And cunning politi-
clans help along this unfortunate
confusion of ideas and facts.
49, All temperance agitation pro-
ceeds FROM the fact Of the liquor
traffic legalized. And this convic-
ton has been made a fact through
the "option" of our legislators who
often misrepresent the people Grasp
ing this fact, the people are assert
ing their right to express the cop
ton" themselves. And the people
have chosen to express such option
in units of counties or states chiefly
by counties.
Of the state units, Maine, Kansas
South Dakota and Oklahoma are ex.
amples.
Of the county unit examples are
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi ant
North Carolina, each of which be
came three-quarters "dry" through
county option units before attempt
ing the option for the whole state
which resulted in swinging the en-
tire state into the "dry" or prohibit
ton column.
Vermont is 7-S dry by town OPP
ton; Virginia and West Virginia ar
60 per cent dry; South Carolina l.