Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-03-12
SOME COGENT REASONS
Why Some People Condemn Prohibition.
that is now MasQueradins Under the De
lusive Term Local Option"


En-. STANDARD.
As the liquor question seems to be
one OF the absorbing questions of the
age. and our legislators are putting in
great deal of valuable time in the
discussion of the question, hope
shall be pardoned if | offer a few sug-
gestions and opinions on the momen-
tous question.
In all governments the great OBJ
ject or design should be " the greatest
good TO the largest number" Now
what per cent of the American people
are habitual drunkards? Not over >
per cent. Now why should the other
81 per cent be prohibited from partak-
inS of a drink of whiskey or glass
of beer because an exceedingly small
minority OF damphoOls don't know
when they have enough? Temperance
is moderation and | contend that the
man who takes a drink in moderation
is temperate man. But am told
some men can't help getting drunk"
Well, | don't believe it. No man likes
the taste of liquor better than do
and don't have TO get drunk Pro
hibitiOn is un-American. 1t is con
trary to the principles of our form
of government. it is an abridgment of
personal liberty; it is class legisla-
tion: il is a gross discrimination be
tween different lines of business or
occupations. The liquor dealer should
enjoy the same rights and privileges
in his business affairs as the mer-
chant. the baker or the peddler. so
saloon keeper or liquor dealer ever
compels one to drink and the man who
gets drunk is himself to blame and not
the saloon keeper Then why punish
the seller? think We punish the
wrong man. 1t is like the silly doct-
rine of the atonement. We have
stringent laws against the abOuse of
the privilege: why are they not enforc-
ed' Under existing laws, no man has
right to sell or even gire an habitual
drunkard intoxicating liquors. and
minors are not allowed inside saloon.
Is your local option going to make the
laws any more stringent? If not. what
is the use of spending $25.00O of the
peoples money in so much waste OF
wind? From a moral or ethical stand
point | think prohibition is pernicious;
il is simply a license Oh smuggling.
for il induces men to resort TO every
subterfuge to evade the law and, be-
sides the heavy tax imposed upon liqu-
ors have compelled INSCRIPTIONS char
acters to adulterate their liquors 10
the great detriment of the public, TO
produce a cheap article and secure Il
profit. When | was boy. good whiskey
could be bought for % cents a gallon
chant had il in his store for his Gus
toners, and a drunken man was a cur
| iOsity.
Now, ask in all candor. what class
of people as a rule are agitating pro-
hibition? Are they not those who pay
little or no taxes? Are they not the
clergy and people generally who make
it their business to dictate TO others
as to what they should or should not
do? believe that every man should
have the right to do as he pleases.
so long as he does not infringe on the
rights OF another. and when man
gets drunk and disorderly he is in
fringing on the rights of his fellow
man and should be compelled to desist
the same as any other culprit.
Instead of making laws 10 prohibit
the sale of liquors. let us have laws TO
punish the crime of drunkenness, for 1t
is a crime against nature and a crime
against every principle of justice and
morality. The habitual drinker, as a
rule. is a roustabout. a barnacle. a
non-taxpayer. and all the revenue We
get out or MIN COMES tuIOuSi MS Niu7
news in the form of the liquor he guz-
zles and for which he pays a tax
throug the saloon keepers license and
this is the only revenue we get out OF
him. Cut out this indirect revenue,
and the industrious. economical farm
er and business man will have TO pay
oil the tax and they would be justified
in making an awful k.tk. Prohibi
tionists are always trying to regulate
the other fellow. Every one should
be compelled TO regulate himself In
accord with the laws under which he
lives. We never can abolish the man
ufacture Of liquor. The business Is as
old as the world and wouldn't want
to see il abolished. but we can abolish
the crime of drunkenness to the same
extent as we abolish other crimes
which is only approximate. Here's
for liberty, justice. fraternity.