The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-10-10
THEORY AND PRACTICES.

THEORY AND PRACTICE.
minimizing the evils OF the liquor
Il affic-state-w wide prohibition or local
option and strict regulations should
be kept in mind that tie prime test
OF each OF these methods should be
its practicability. All laws dealing
with the liquor traffic have one end
in view and that is the suppression of
the evil of intemperancs. When it
comes TO a choice between two meas
ures or systems for the suppression of
that evil. the only question is which
will best serve that end
In deciding that question. the voter
should consider not what the measure
is designed TO do, but what, in the
light OF experience. it may be expect
ed to do. The advocates OF statewide
prohibition are, in the main. honest
and actuated by high motives, and the
end they seek to attain is most praise
worthy. Bat that does not include
those Democratic leaders who
forced the statewide prohibition
plank into the Utah Democratic state
platform. That was placed there by
political generals to get votes. That
was its only object.
The honest advocate of statewide
prohibition believes that by that
means the evil of intemperance may
be most effectively stamped out. Elk
perience in every state in the Union
that was ever afflicted with the state
wide prohibition idea shows that the
state wide prohibitionist is wrong in
his practical side. but right enough in
theory. Prohibition, statewide,
never prohibited, and it never will
There must be an overwhelming SEN
timent in a community in favor of
the suppression of the sale of liquor
before that can be accomplished.
Cities and towns are formed, not by
the state. but at the instance of the
people OF the communities composing
them. They have legislative powers,
they adopt and carry out policies
Their ordinances and regulations rep
resent the policies OF a compact COM
munity of persons having a common
interest. They have their executive
heads. charged with the responsible
" of enforcing such regulations and
carrying out their policies. If one
OF such municipalities votes dry"
that vote represents the will of the
majority OF that community and pro-
hibition becomes one OF its policies;
its mayor and police. answerabie TO
the majority. will see that it is en-
forced
To enforce it involves no invasion
of wet territory, no offense against
the inherent love of local self-govern-
ment necessitates no call for volun-
teers no employment OF spies and
detectives. no passing OF the hat. and
no expense to the taxpayers, other
than usual Should the municipality
vote wet" then the sale OF liquor is
under the most rigid regulation.
There is a wide gap between the
ideal and the practical. Your aver
age honest advocate of statewide
prohibition is an idealist. The theory
OF statewide prohibition is laudable,
therefore your prOhibitionist stands
upon it and sees entrenched behind
him. in his minds eye. the serried
ranks of morality. In his vision. he
beholds arrayed against him all the
forces of immortality. The Golden
Rule is a perfect rule for the regula-
ton of each mans conduct toward his
fellows. Why has it never taken the
form OF legislative enactment? Be
cause such legislation would be i'm
practical
Local option is practical. state
wide prohibition Is impractical. Both
have been tested. Under local option,
each community governing itself on
the liquor question. the work OF true
temperance has gone on in the very
shadow of the saloon. II is the best
solution OF the liquor question that
has ever been tried in this country
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