Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1909-08-12
ADVERTISING
Continued from page five. J

merely casting thelr ballots for pro-
hibition they have done their full duty
and saved the country. The writer
has watched the prohibitionists in his
town for seven years, and he can tes-
tify that not two per cent of the men ,
that vote for no-license ever lift "a
finger or contribute one cent to have I,
the law enforced under either sys-
tenn.
The prohibition public sentiment is
of that cheap, shallow. emotional va
riety that exhausts itself in all man
ner of hysterical performances during
the campaign. over against the in
herent weakness of this prohibition
sentiment is the public sentiment OPP
posed 10 the enactment and to the
enforce ment of the orohibitory law
This sentiment is of a very different
kind from the other. There is nothing
frenzied nor hystercal about it. But
it is determined, active and per-
sistent. 1t knows what it wishes and
what is more to the point, it knows
how to get what it wishes 1t doesn't
exhaust itself before election nor
grow indifferent after election. In
deed, as soon as the town goes dry"
this anti-prohibition sentiment begins
to arouse itself and warm UP.
A man in dry town wishes
drink, and he knows where he can
get it, That man is far more inter-
ested in getting his drink than his
prohibition neighbor is in preventing
him from getting it. And when you
multiply this one drinker by num-
Der representing half or more of the
ms 10 ivh a n
you have an idea of the relative
strength of the two kinds of public
sentiment, and, if you have any pow
er of Imagination, you know why pro-
hibition does not prohibit. There is
said to be good deal of the mule
about human nature, and prohibit
tory law is beautifully adapted to
bring out the mule quality. People
resent the idea of being held up by a
lot of hysterical women and meddle-
, some men who conceive it to be their
right and duty to regulate the per-
sonal habits of their neighbors.
Prohibition has not only failed to
J accomplish its avowed object. but 1t
has been the greatest obstacle to
! true temperance reform in this coun-
! try during the last fifty years. Other
way in which they handle the drink
. question and one reason is that they
j have not been so much disturbed by
!. Temperance waves" Prohibition at.
tempts to do that which is impossi
y BILE and prevents the doing of tina
which is possible. If the liquor pro
4; blem, in it's legislative aspects, is evel
4 going to be solved, the solution mus
no al ha IF In n
e and the sooner we set our feet on tn
, right path the sooner we shall reacl
the desired end
!; Nothing is more certain than tina
e every State and local community Il
It which prohibition now obtains will
/, ultimately have to return to tn
&c policy of regulation, and just so lon
as the prohibitory law remains o.
e. the statute books, just so long wi
L. the day of reformation be deferred
~ Prohibition is like the quack docto
"a who cannot cure the patient himsel
y and will not allow anybody else I
lie take the case The present hysterics
,e crusade is itself an obstacle to reforr
99e even in places where the license la
obtains. 1t is drain on the mora
err energy of the community. 1t create
IL cOntent1On CONFUSION anu pi'l'
of strife. 1t attracts and leads astra
NJ many well intentioned but unthinl
he ing people, whose interest in mor'
~ reform and whose zeal and enthu'
40 iasm would if wisely directed be
OF great value to the community The'
m people become infatuated with
ng blind faith in the power of prohibitio
= to regenerate society, and they WI
OF listen to nothing else. If you su!
ed gest to them some proposition of RET
II sonable reform, they fly off into
all rage and denounce you as trait'
at to the country and an enemy of r.
id ligion.
,r' Prohibitionists not only refuse
nl support. but actively and bitter
b. fight against, every plan of excise T
III form that does not go to their e
OF IRENE. 1t must be abolition or not
ing: their motto is rule or ruin.
os their blind zeal they actually rejoi
let in iniquity. The disreputable salo'
OF is far more to their liking than Il
decent saloon, for the more disrepu
T., able the saloon the more ammuniti'
IN for the campaign. If all saloo
k were made decent and orderly, Il
bottom would soon drop out of Il
re- prohibition movement Tell pr
hibitionst that such and such a s
loon is certainly respectable plao
and you arouse his fiercest angt
He would rather hear that murd
ia, had been committed in one of &
IN "hell holes" In his estimation &
:. respectable saloon is the very wor
kind, as it deceives and beguiles t
A. unwary youth to his destruction.
nm The real character of the prohit
let ton movement is thus seen in Z
he way it reacts on the prohibitions
. themselves. They throw truth al
his reason and experience to the wine
20 and often resort to the most confer
lin ptible and disgusting methods to ga
m their end Some time ago, a travt
on ing salesman who lives in town
ear the Middle West, was returning hor
Fssa from a trip. On arriving at his st
mt. ton, he noticed that the streets we
he filled with people. Making his w