Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-15

- AH~-H"mhH ~ - AAH@N A'-~~H @-
there are a good many thirsty people in
Atlanta, and in the second place, that
your prohibition law Is a humbug. Other
leading prohibitionists speak in the same
strain as the two just quoted. Conditions
In Atlanta are a sample Of those that OBJ
tain all over the state.
Under Local Option.
Just a word about prohibition under the
local option system. The writer is very
familiar witt the working Of prohibition
In a number of the towns of the east end
on Long Island, and from his own observa-
ton during the last seven years he can
testify to the fact that in every one Of
these dry" towns, prohibition has been
a disgusting farce every time 1t has
been tried. In the writer's own
town the record of prohibition may be
summed up In the admission Of the local
snti-saloon leader, that anybody can get
all the liquor he wants in this town under
either license or no-license.' That no-li-
cense has failed to accomplish any good on
Long island, may be inferred from the fact
that at the elections, last spring, every
town on the island was carried for license
by a decisive majority. The A~nti-Saloon
league made the fight of its life, but it
was Of no use. The people knew all about
TIC bltssluSS VI pIOnlDlllOns ana Iney
concluded that they had had enough. The
prohibitionists lost every town they then
held. including conservative old East
Hampton, which gave a majority for Ii
cense for the first time in fifty years.
Many and various are the reasons why
prohibition in this country has proved a
failure. The following considerations will
reveal a few Of the more general reasons.
ntaRfarRnna Nth TudtuN1.aI nRrht.
Prohibition is an attempt to deprive men
Of what they believe to be an inherent
right. The question of individual rights is
the underlying issue in this whole con-
troversy. Majority rule is, Of course, a
sound political principle, but it is obvious
that the application of this principle must
be confined within reasonable limits. II
a majority has a right to say to a min
GRITTY: You shall not drink beer, another
majority has the right to say to another
minority: You shall hot drink tea. Now, il
the people in any state or town should
take IT into their heads to enact a law pro-
hlbiting the use of tea, what a fearful
how would go up from the camp of the
Women's Christian Temperance union and
what an unenviable job the officers would
have in attempting to enforce such a law!
What, deprive us of our right to serve tea
at our mothers meetings and parlor So
ciables! Why, it's an outraged 'Oh, but.
good ladies we, the majority, made up as
you know of the better element, have thor
oughly Investigated this matter, and we
have found that tea is very injurious. In
fact, it's a poison. Look at the thousands
of women that have gone down to tea-top-
ers' graves! Look at the army of inno-
cent little children that have been left
motherless," ETC., etc. AS a matter of
fact, many experienced physicians believe
that tea and coffee cause quite as much
trouble In the world as alcohol. The tenn
perance' people will retort: Yes; but
there is a wide difference between beer
and tea" OF course there is, and that is
just why so many people prefer the beer.
But there is no difference between
the right to drink the one and right to
drink the other. Everywhere and always.
outside OF Islam, while drunkenness has
been condemned, the moderate use of aico-
holic beverages has been a common custom
and has been regarded as the inherent risht
Of the individual.
Sanctioned by the church.
The use of alcoholic liquors is and has
always been considered not only legitimate
as a beverage, but 1t is consecrated and
hallowed in the most solemn and weiEhty
rite Of the Christian church. Now you
cannot by q mere law, eradicate a senti-
ment and destroy an institution that has
stood for ages, and that is SO deeply rooted
In our whole social life. Prohibition con
dennis the conscience, the judgment and the
social habits of countless generations OF
the most highly civilized, progressive and
moral peoples. Moreover, prohibition passes
condemnation on a great branch of ia.
dustry that has been recognized through,
out all ages as legitimate, an industry IN
which some of the most venerable AM
honored religious orders OF the Christian
church have been and are today engaged
Prohibition necessarily fails because Al
makes no discrimination between use anc
abuse. 1t arbitrarily makes a legal Grim,
OF an act which is neither wrong in itseli
nor contrary to the rights and interests o.
society. Because two or three men use
liquor to excess. prohibition would compe
a hundred temperate men to follow tn,
rule of total abstinence. One man is lamC
and therefore all his neiEhbors must Us,
crutches.
Social Science View.
Again. prohibition has failed because II
is wholly negative and destructive You
N SAAON I'll uAlNAl SOu ItLllONN
the cause. You cannot abolish the llquul
traffic until you abolish the source Of tn,
traffic. 1t is not the liquor traffic tina
creates the demand for liquor; it is tn
demand for liquor that creates the traffic
And just so long as the demand continues
just SO long will the supply of liquor b.
forthcoming in one way or another. TIL,
attempt to abolish the liquor traffic b!
prohibitory law is as futile as would b
the attempt to dry up a river by building
a dam. Prohibitionists seem to imagine tina
they are dealing only with tile compar
atively few liquor dealers; whereas the!
are dealing with the vast multitude Of mel
that are determined to use liquor. They tel
? us that the saloon is a curse. Well, be tina
as 1t may, the practical question is, wha
blessing does prohibition furnish as
substitute? Absolutely none, unless 1
be the Women's Christian Temperate
union Mothers meeting and tn
weekly prayer meeting. These institutions
excellent as they are in their place, ar,
hardly adapted to satisfy the social need
} Of the masses. Students OF social science
men who have spent years In observing anC
studying the saloon and the saloon con
stituency, whatever views they may hole
as to the character of this institution as /
now exists, agree unanimously on the fol