Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-03-25

is more foolish, moth
ing more utterly at variance with
sound policy than to enact a law which
by reason Of conditions surrounding
the community is incapable of enforce
ment. Such instances are sometime pre-
sented by sumptuary laws, by which
the sale of intoxicating liquors is pro-
hibited under penalties, in localities
where the public sentiment of the inn
mediate community does not and will
not sustain the enforcement of the law
In such cases the legislation usually is
the result of the agitation by the peo-
pie in the country districts who are de-
termined 70 make their fellow citizens
i'm the city better. The enactment OF
law comes through the country repre-
sentatives who form a majority of the
Legislature, but the enforcement of the
law is dead letter. The constant VIC
lation or neglect of any law leads to a
decentralization of all lyws." From
"Four Aspects of Civic Duty" by Will
lam Howard Taft.
| FROM THE REPORT OF THE COMMIT
TEE OF FIFTY:-Of which Hon. Seth
Low, Rt. Rev. Thomas Conaty, Bishop
+. G. Andrews, the late Bishop III. G..
Potter, Charles Dudley Warner, Attor-
ney General Charles j. Banaparte,
Bishop Thomas F. Gailor, Rev. Father
s. p. Doyle and others were members:
"Almost every sort of liquor legislation
creates some specific evil in politics.
Prohibitory legislation has failed to ex-
clude intoxicants completely from dis
tricts where puplic sentiment has been
favorable. In districts where public
sentiment has been adverse or strongly
divided, the traffic in alcoholic bever-
ages has been sometimes repressed or
harrassed, but never exterminated or
rendered improbable. Prohibition has,
of course, failed to subdue the drinking
passion which will forever prompt re-
sistance to all restrictive legislation.
"There have been concomittant evils
of prohibitory legislation. The efforts
to enforce it during 40 years past have
had some unlocked for effects on public
respect for courts, judicial procedure,
oaths, and law in general, and for OFF,
GERS of the law, legislators and public
servants. The public have seen law
defied and whole generations of habitu-
law-breakers schooled in evasion and
in shamelessness, courts ineffective
through fluctuations of policy, delays,
perjuries, negligences and other mis-
carriages of justice, officers of the law
double-faced and mercenary, Legislators
timid and insecure, candidates for office
hypocritical and trucking and office
holders unfaithful to pledges and to
reasonable expectation.
Through an agitation which has al
ways had moral end these immorali-
ries have been developed and made
conspicuous. All legislation intended
TO put restrictions on the liquor traffic,
Except perhaps the simple tax, is more
or less liable TO those objections but the
prohibitory legislation is the worst OF
all in these respects. Even when ex-
ternal Improvements have undoubtedly
been effected by the new legislation il
often remains doubtful or at least not
demonstrable whether or not the visi-
BILE improvements have been accompa.
MED by diminution in the amount OF
drinking
CARDINAL GIBBoNs:-"If we want
to improve the morality of our cities
let the virtue of temperance be pro-
claimed in the churches and taught in
the homes. 1t cannot be inculcated by
restrictive laws.
~ am persuaded that 1t is practically
impossible to put prohibition into ef-
feet in any large community and the
best means therefore TO promote tenn.
perance is to limit the number of sa-
oons by high license Laws like pro-
Inhibition that are certain to be violated
for incessant violation draws down up
on them disrespect.
BISHOP HENRY G. PoTTER:-'eThe
nations who have prohibited the use OF
alcoholic beverages, like the Turks, the
Arabs, the Persians and other Moham-
medan tribes, are far behind the West
ern nations in everything which makes
life worth living"
BISHOP HALL OF VERMoNT:-"Pro-
hibition drives underground the mis-
chef which ii seeks to cure, making il
more difficult TO deal with the evil, and
impossible to regulate the trade, as for
instance, in the quality of liquor sold. "
Bishop CLARK OF RHODE ISLAND
-"Prohibition has been disastrous to
the cause Of temperance.
DIR. FELIX ADLER of New York.
1--WE are prone to think that every sa-
loon IL place In which intemperance