The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-09-23
SOME PROHIBITION HISTORY.

oDtis PROHIBITION HINTOik0.
The Republican party has always be-
leved I'm accomplishment. rather than
bombast II has always believed that
70 vas infinitely better TO do some
thing OF real value 20 the people. and
TO the nation. without grand flourish
81 trumpcts. - And IN this matter OF
prohibition. the Republican party be-
lieves that IL is an evil. impossible 70
eradicate. as experience has shown.
but possible or regulation. Il believes
that the evils Of the liquor traffic can
be minimized. and 70 believes that an
attempt at statewide prohibition
would result iu Utah as # has I'm every
other state I'm the Union that has tried
s.: Closing the licensed and regulated
saloons and opening liquor bells with
all the attendant damuation.
The Republican party has always
taken an advanced stand on the liquor
question. In its early history it be-
lieved that prohibition could be made
effective Tho states under its con-
troll were the first % adopt prohibit
lion. give 20 an honest and sincere
trial. and 90 conclude finally that e
was an impossibility. The Maine Re
publicans refused To- profit by the ex-
perience OF their brethren I'm other
states. and the result &C. that they are
outside the breastworks for the first
time I'm thirty years.
Vermont adopted prohibition laws
iu 1852. and kept them on her statute
books for half n century. The state
bootleggers. and joints. flourlshed.
People were bounded like slaves.
practically every principle I'm the bill
Of rights was broken by the Vermont
prohibitionists I'm their attempt TO stop
the use and sale Of liquor in Vermont.
but they were never able 90 get away
with g. Informers were given a
snare of the fine I'm order to stimu-
1ate the pursuit. but all 20 no avail
Tntcupcrauce and contempt or law
steadily increased until. fin 1902. the
United States commissioner Of inter-
nal revenue reported that one license
20 sell liquor was issued for every
100 voters I'm tho state or Vermont.
In 1903 n movement was inaugural
cd for the adoption or the license sys-
tenn. on four separate occasions the
voters registered their disapprovaI Of
prohibition. In the caucuses. in the
legislature. iu the election when they
voted on tho question direct. and
finally when the towns voted on
license iu 1903. In March 81 that
year cirhty-scvcn towns in the state
voted for the licensed saloon. They
had had enough OF prohibition
Ncv Hampshire adopted statutory
prohibition iu 1855. For thirty-four
years an attempt was made To- en-
force 60 without result In 1859 an
attempt was made % vote n constitu-
ti1ual amendment iu favor of prohi-
bitiou and 60 was lost 10y an enormous
majority. only two counties I'm the
entire state gave 81 majoritics. In
1903 the lower house Of the Rev
Hampshire legislature passed n bill To
license saloons by q vote or PIG "a
107. Tho senate passed the bin n Scvv
days later by vote Of three to ono. thu
governor signed 20, and New Hamp-
shire licensed tho saloon. done with
prohibition for good and aIL The ucopI,
had found that tho traffic was better
regulated and that the evils were
fewer under license than under pro.
hibiuon.
N1assachusctts tried prohibition
fr5m 1855 Co 1870. After fifteen years
Of earnest trial an attempt TO cngrar
90 upon the constitution OF the state
failed by large majority. only one
town iu tho state voted for o. The
prohibitiouiste tried there. as else
where. 90 show that an morality was
or their side and that all immoraIity
was with the opposition. They failed
as usual Tho constitutional amend.
mcnt in favor OF prohibition was dc.
featcd in tho state by O. majority OF
4g.552.
I'm 1853 Rhode Island adopted pro.
hibition. and Tor ten years gave 10 The
faircst trial possible. and repealed tn,
Law, En- 1853. in 1885 Rhode Island
tried Il again. and adopted n prohibi
ton law. Three years later the pco.
pie OF the state rcpudiated prohibition
az the polls by a majority OF 1889
ont OF n total vote Of $4,000. Thrc,
years OF experience had changed tn,
views Of more than four-fifths Of IN,
voters.
Connecticut. Ohio. Maryland. Mich
igan. Delaware. Indiana. Nebraska. IT,
linois. Iowa. North Dakota, South Da
kota. all have tried prohibition. Prac
ticaliy all have repealed the Drohibi
ton laws. The remaining few have per
u1ittcd them to remain on the statut
books. n dead letter. Most have com,
back TO practical local option an,
strict regulation.
SHIFTING THE LOSSES.