Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-09-28
LOCAL OPTION
UNDER FIRE
A Correspondent Carries 1t to
Logical Conclusions and
Makes Comparisons.

Editor Occur d'Alene Preas:--As
your paper has always been recoE-
nized as a fair one and has always
given both sides Of any public ques-
tion a fair hearing. desire here
with 70 present your readers with
some facts on the local option ques-
tion.
There IL one phase OF the present
Issue between those who believe In
personal liberty on the one hand. and
the opponents TO this divine right
on the other. that has received no
attention so far as | have observed
in your columns.
The trend OF sentiment among the
extremists seems to have veeFed
about from prohibition to what they
are pleased to call local option.
There Is good reason for this be-
cause bald prohibition has failed 60
signally wherever IL has been tried
that sensible people in large numbers
tight quite shy Of Il. They realize
the hOpelessness OF such an aim %
far as this entire country In con-
cerned and come out in favor OF To-
cal option as a sort OF compromise
measure.
Now local option looks quite plaus-
ible to many. III is considered quite
democratic. Il Is said that the ma
iority OF people should rule In any
precinct, county or state. and for that
matter IN the nation. That. IN 4
general way, Is true. but when the
nature OF the subject against which
Il Is proposed TO open the batteries
Of public sentiment As expressed Ia
the ballot and by legislation Ia taken
into consideration the danger and
fallacy Of the local option argument
is quite manifest.
The majority ought TO rule In an
matters that concern the general
public good and that do not inter-
fere with the personal rights aud
liberties OF individuals. When Il
goes beyond this u IL tyranny and
injustice. the tyranny OF the ma
jority to crush Out the divIneIy given
rights OF the individual.
Suppose for example that a com
munity be- Overwhelmingly Protes-
tant. 4 few Roman Catholics who
happen to move into that community
desire to erect a church building
and institute the religious services
and ministry OF that people. But
religious feeling against the Roman
Catholics runs quite high In that
community and they proceed to agi-
tate IN favor OF local option on that
question. maintaining that the ma
joFity should rule and that n q ma
iority OF that community are op-
posed to the building OF \ Roman
Catholic ch rich edifc Il must not
be built II would not be sum
Client In such a case to plead with the
extremists that such action would be
unjust and tyrannous because Il
would interfere with the religious
rights OF the minority: such an argu-
ment would not appeal to them.
They would rush madly on and crush
out that little Catholic church con-
tingent by force Of Law and the po-
lice.
Or TO shift the situation: Suppose
a community in which a large ma
jority Of the people have been con
yeFted TO the idea Of a Vegetable diet.
Prom careful examination OF various
food Etutis and their effect upon the
nutrition Of the human body they
conclude that a vegetable diet j.
best for man and that ali meats
should be excluded from the tables
They begin 10 agitate this subject:
they introduce text books favoring 3
vegetable diet exclusively IN the
schools: they organize soeities and
associations for the purpose OF adj
vaneing the teachings OF this cult;
and finally they reach the conclusion
that as a vegetbis diet ls the very