The national prohibitionist. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1907-1911, 1908-02-13

ment. While this power, in instances, may
be delegated to county, such delegated author
ity can, at any time, be rightfully revoked, and
the prohibition made equally applicable every
where. In principle nothing can be said in favor
of leaving to the different counties the liquor
question, that cannot be said with equal force in
behalf of gambling, pistol carrying and Of other
offenses. On the contrary the evil effects of
liquor selling extend beyond county lines even
more injuriously than other crimes.
While it can be said that prohibitory laws do
not absolutely prevent violations, the is
true of all other laws. If mere enactment of a
penal statute would prohibit all future violations,
and complete protection of society could be thus
secured, court houses and public officials would
become useless expense. In Mississippi unaw
full retailing is generally less frequent than gam
bling or carrying concealed weapons. None but
anarchists contend that other criminal laws tempt
commission of what they prohibit, yet human
nature is the same in its results and workings in
regard to all classes of prohibited acts. The
men, the money, and the literature that are being
provided by the liquor manufacturers and deal
ers for their bitter and relentless war against
Prohibition prove that they do not believe, in
the slightest, that Prohibition does not greatly
lessen the use of stimuants
The saloons, the nursery of crime, the fruitful
soil for the termination of successive crops of
drunkards and the worst enemy of home,
of wife and child, should be speedily closed.
Upon this question the judgment of the dry
counties as to what is good within their own Dor
ders is to be made equally applicable of the whole
state. The right of the majority to voice public
policy is even unquestionaby possessed by
the state than by its smaller sub divisions; and
its condemnation of the liquor traffic being clearly
expressed it is for us to make it effective Method
and time the only questions for real discus
sion.
While some consideration should be shown for
those whose capital is thus invested, it should not
be forgotten that such consideration should not
cause to lose sight of the suffering the traffic
hourly brings to innocent people. If Prohibition
is made purely statutory, foreign liquor dealers
and their home sympathizers will attempt to
new the question before every legislature For
this reason we should also have constitutional
amendment submitted, so that only the people
could undo what they once determine.
That regulation of the liquor traffic does not
regulate, the usual manner of conducting liquor
business clearly proves. Both the saloon and the
blind tiger cater, for mercenary purposes, to the
creation and qualification of bestia instincts fur
nishing what paralyzes reason and inhames pas
sion When to this is added lascivious sugges-
ton, liquor vendors fit the worst men for the
worst crimes How far this can go is shown by
an indescribable calendar issued by negro sa-
oonkeeper in Vicksburg, copy of which is held
by the chairman of the house committee on liquor
traffic. That saloonkeeper, although this matter