The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-07-03
Discussing the Liquor Question

1JS - - SSS
tactics at the next sitting by turning
loose upon them roaring prohibit
ton lion. 1t was mighty tidal
wave of righteousness that gained
the splendid victory for Georgia. In
the legislative body of 1877 members
in session at the time, there was not
man who had even been instructed
for prohibition, but the united, de-
termined, desperate move on the part
of the people goaded by the insolence
of the demands of liquor men who,
under local option, after the death
of the prohibition warrior, Sam
Jones, insisted upon re-su omission
of the liquor question to a vote of
the people, swept all opposition be-
fore them as hurricane sweeps the
deck of an ocean steamer, and when
the vote was taken 100 out of the
1877 lawmakers voted the will of the
people. When the people of Georgia
met the conditions "Only be thou
strong and very courageous" When
they looked to God and not their ma
chine politicians then victory came.
From a legal and moral standpoint
we contend that local option is con-
trary to the federal constitution and
the constitution of Idaho, and out of
harmony with the law of God, whose
law is the very embodiment of prohi-
bition expressed in three words Of
simplest language, "Thou shalt
not" Local option defined as liberty
OF choosing-a measure that is safe
only when all the people can be re-
lied upon to choose the right. All
law (including prohibition) is found
ed on moral principles, and is a
statement of right in mandatory
form. The law of human conduct
prescribed by Jesus Christ gives no
hint of option. Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as myself is mandatory and
applicable whenever help is needed.
There are homes in Idaho where lit
tie children would appeal in vain to
debauched parenthood for protec-
tion from this legalized octopus
which claims one child out of every
fifth home. Dare we consent to
trust their fate to vote of the peo-
pie? Article one, section 4, of the
constitution of Idaho in setting forth
the liberty Of civic rights reads in
part, "The liberty of conscience here
by secured shall not be construed so
as to excuse acts of RIGHTEOUSNESS or
the pernicious practices inconsistent
with the peace and safety of the
state, or to permit any person or Or
ganization to commit the crime of
polygamy, bigamy or any other
crime" We submit, does not this
clause bar the consideration of CIV
ing the people an option on perpet-
uating the organized liquor traffic
the king of crime, in it's pernicious
practices of making criminals and in
the wholesale debauching of our cit
izenship? Asking our lawmakers
to give us local option law on MUIR
der, polygamy or bigamy would be,
in our judgment as CONSTANT as
asking for liquor local option law.
When separation is made between
liberty and justice neither, in my
opinion is safe" says Edmund
Burke. The lib,ity that does not
protect the man who has los,,
through diseased craving, the pow
er to protect himself, that does not
consider the helplessness of child
hood, cannot be called liberty. "Thou
shalt not" is the only protection that
will serve such need. Milton says,
"The liberty, through law, should be
allowed that involves only the fruits
of piety temperance and unadulter-
ated virtue" Daniel Webster de-
clared, Liberty exists in proportion
to wholesale restraint" Judge Rich
ards of this city, in recent address
before joint convention of the anti
Saloon league, and the Women's
Christian Temperance Union said of
local option. Local option is wrong
in principle. Because it is morally
wrong it cannot be made legally
right. 1t is contrary to the federal
J and stata constitutions and no leg