The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-10-25
SOLVING THE LIQUOR QUESTION

SOLVING THE LIQUOR QUESTION.
The Republican party believes in
temperance. 1t believes that the evils
Of the liquor traffic should be mini
mixed as much as possible. 1t believes
that the liquor question should be
solved IN the best manner possible.
and that the best guide for the future
is the experience of the past. 1t be-
heves that Utah, in settling this ques-
ton, can do no better than TO study
have been trying to settle it since
jamestown was settled in 1907. 1t be-
lieves that the liquor traffic cannot be
altogether rooted out OF state. and in
saying that it asks whether there is
a state in the Union that has sue
ceeded in prohibiting the traffic.
The Republican party firmly be-
lieves that local option is the only So
luton Of the liquor question that is
( practicable and successful. and in stat
ing this belief We ask that those who
read this study the experiences of
other states. We believe that local OPP
ton will work better in Utah than
any other system. for it has worked
| better In other states We believe that
where a Utah city votes dry" public
sentiment will uphold the law. and
that the ''blind tiger" and the boot
logger" viii not thrive.
The Republican party believes that
where a community is in favor of the
saloon, such as Salt Lake City IN
doubtedly Is, or Park City. or Eureka,
or other communities in the state, that
any attempt TO shut out the saloons
there through the enforcement OF
statewide prohibition will open scores
OF vile dens, that will be infinitely
worse in their effect upon the youth
of the community than the regulated
| saloon. We believe, however, that
when the planned local option cleo
ton is held in the cities named that,
while they may vote ''wet," they will
! see TO IL that the saloons are regulated.
We believe that the most rabid state
wide prohibitionist will agree that the
regulated saloon, under strict police
supervision, can do less harm to the
youth OF the community than the
| liquor den in some noisome back alley
where there is no supervision by the
police, because the dive must Of neces-
sity keep away from the policeman.
We believe that B. H. Roberts was
right when he said. in the eonstitu-
tionaI convention OF 1895:
believe that we can better control
this question. this evil OF in
temperance, by locating IL where
we know the evil is and where
il can be under the guardianship
OF the law, and strictly regu-
lated. instead OF having blind in
situations about US producing
evil and yet We know not the
course OF the evil.
We believe Mr.. Roberts was right
concerning the community where the
public sentiment is favorable to the
saloon, and we as firmly believe that
where the public sentiment OF a COM
munity is sufficiently strong TO vote
out the saloon that it is strong enough
TO see that the law is enforced and
the "blind institutions" eliminated.
And we also believe that if the cities
where the public sentiment is strong
against the saloon were given the
power to vote the saloon out OF cities
where the saloon is favored. that the
inevitable result is just as Mr.. Roberts
outlined it. blind institutions" pro-
ducing "evil, yet we know not the
course of the evil
So far as getting the liquor question
before the people in a way that in
sures practical prohibition where it Is
wanted, without interfering with local
self-government. the Republican party
has done so in way that for prompt
ness and directness is without a paral-
lei in the history OF political parties IN
Utah.
This is the situation briefly stated.
as outlined in the Republican state
platform, and the Republican party
pledges itself 10 put it into effect:
l. Saloons are not to be allowed
at all in any places outside OF incOr-
porated cities. Not even the permits
sion Of the people can get them there.
This removes at once the saloon from
every part OF the state that is not
covered directly by police supervision.
2. In the cities the people are TO
say. by regular election, whether the
sale of liquor within any city is pro-
hibited or allowed. Each city is 10
speak for itself, and in itself. The
whole state is thus covered, but not in
an unwieldy or expensive manner;
and II the voters OF any city do not
want the saloon they are given the
direct opportunity of saying so.
3. This law stopping the sale OF
liquors outside Of cities, and the vetS
in the cities as 70 whether or not sa-