The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-07-17

- ~ 30 993919So9V
Jones. insisted upon re-submission
to the liquor question to vote OF
the people, swept all opposition De-
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 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
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 thy self 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-
ton 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, 1.-The liberty of conscience here
by secured shall not be construed so
as to exclude 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 consistent 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 liberty that does not
protect the man who has lost
through diseased craving, the pow
err 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 a 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
and state constitutions and no leg
islature has the right to pass such a
measure, and should they assume the
right. it would not be law. There
can be no law that gives the people
| hor ta ,.ino W. I'll h
lie peace, the public safety, and the
public morals" He strongly urged
taking advantage of our present pro-
hibitory laws with statewide prohi
bition the end to be obtained. The
saloon men of America differ In their
position from Judge Richards. In a
recent issue of "Boufort's Wine and
Spirits Circular" the leading organ
of the liquor traffic in America, In
which it endorses local option, says:
Localities should be allowed to
choose say once every few years
whether they will have saloons or IL
censes to sell in original packages,
or prohibition" OF course, it is well
understood that this position obtains
only when liquor men are sore
rcrowded by threatened prohibition.
Such endorsement of local option,
however. calls for no lengthy COM
ment before a body of intelligent
thinking women.
Article 3, section "a. of the state
constitution reads: 'The first con-
Germ of all good government is the
virtue and sobriety of the people and
the purity of the home. The legisla-
ture should further all well directed
efforts for the promotion of temper
ance and morality" Dare we ask
that they violate their oath of Office
in passing measure empowering