The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-10
PROHIBITION IN UTAH
AND THE DOUBLE 4

AND THE DOUBLE X
Whatever else may be uncertain
about prospective legislation. there isl
no doubt but that an earnest. and
probably successful effort viii BE-
made at this session to enact state
wide prohibition law. II such a law Is
enacted, Ttah alone Of the mountain
states viii be an arid region for the
drinker
The situation here is remarkable in
3 good many ways. Until within the
past few days it had been supposed
that legislation on the subject would
take the form Of local option. probably
By county boundaries In the state
campaign, the Republicans ignored the
matter. so far as platforms and
speeches were concerned. and in his Of
fetal capacity the new governor has
refrained from committing himself
The legislators hre not pledged by any
state action Of their organization. but
some Of them were chosen on platforms
indicating votes for local option or pro-
hibition.. The SsH Lake county Democ-
racy pledged itself in its platform to
local option. and some effort was made
To force the issue in the campaign.
Back OF the Republican position was
an understanding between the Repub-
lean leaders. their official organ ana
the Iieuo9 interests that no legislation
woule be permitted on the subject
How that understanding was reached
and what it cost the brewers and sa-
loon men is pretty well known. So far
as the campaign went il was effective.
and the Republican pledge T. keep
hands of was kept. But, now that the
election is over and the legislature is
about to convene. there is little pros
pect that the promises made viii be
kept What are pledges, anyway, as
between politicians? And how could
the liquor interests expect the Repub
lican machine TO remember more than
sixty days after election any promise.
even for a consideration that ran into
the thousands?
x x \
The Herald believes that statewide
prohibition will prove a failure in COM
munities like Salt Lake. where public
sentiment is not likely TO uphold ef-
forts to enforce such a law. It believes.
further, that there is certain injus
tice in any measure which viii wipe
out at one stroke property and business
interests worth millions of dollars with
out any time OF opportunity being
given to prepare for a change in
g--
Of course. permitted only by suf-
fcrance. but in licensing il and
allowing the accumulation Of capital in
its transaction. the commonwealth has
incurred the obligation 20 be fair and
Just in whatever measure it may take:
and Justice in this case would demand
Il least time enough TO permit Of the
disposal Of property and adjustment Of
conditions which viii follow such a
Drastic enactment.
n a.~s.b'tfou shall become law. the
LIQUOR interests may credit themselves
with a large part Of the responsibility.
AS The Herald has said on several oc-
caslons, the maintenance OF tough sa-
looms. the Red Onions and Pink Cab
bages and their like, has done more TO
create prohibition sentiment than all
the temperance orators. Further, the
interference Of the breweries and sa-
looms in political affairs has brought its
inevitable punishment. No one IA
miliar with the circumstances viii shed
any tears over the double cross that
has been handed to the liquor interests
BY their Republican ooafreres; they in-
vited lust such a fate when they
sought protection at price and de-
ltvered their part of the consideration. !
How will prohibition affect Utah? In
some parts Of The state, particularly in /
the agricultural and cattle raising dis |
triets. il viii make little difference. In /
salt Lake and the mining camps the I
Immediate effect win be something Of a 1
cataclysm. In this city. such a law viii 4
throw into the market at once some /
thing ever hundred locations for bus
iuess- naaT OF ihem in the heart of the
downtown district and some OF them 4
among the bes- locations in the city.
II will cut down the citys revenue