The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-10-31

ment that has failed, I'm my Judgment
other gentlemen, of course may dir
fer from that, bat IL is a difference In
Judgment-but being an experiment
that has failed. 1 hold that there Il
nothing binding upon us 10 attempt tt
BY constitutional provision.
There is no gentleman upon this
floor but what is aware OF the evil OF
intemperance. It is not because 1 am
in favor of patrOniZing saloons, and
that have no regard for the evils or
intemperances that am competed with
those gentlemen who have made the
nay observation teaches me that the
proposed remedy for this evil IS not
equal 10 the task proposed for It.
am against IL. II is for that reason
this clause for a separate article on
prohibition.
There is another question connected
with this subject, and this Is reeog-
MIXING the inpraeticability of PrOhi0i-
tiOn, either by constitutional provision
or legislative enactment. In eOnse-
quenee of cur being surrounded by
states and territories where they may
manufacture and sell those intOXieGnts
as beverages in spite OF all that we
could do, they would Import those
beverages into cur territory and they
would be sold, and the result would be
that we would not materially lessen
the evil, but we would pay cut a reVe-
nue. 10 surrounding states and terri
tories that we absolutely need here In
our own state. And 1 cannot close my
eyes 20 the fact that IL would be in
ereaSlng the burdens of taxation upon
the people Of this territory and at the
same time not curing the evil at which
this prohibition clause Is leVeled-
Now. these are considerations from
which we cannot remove ourselves,
and 1 think il is competent and proper
for this convention 20 favor the adOp-
tion of the majority report Of this com
mittee on this issue
believe that we can better control
this question, this evil of intemPeranee,
BY locating it where we know the evil
is and where it can be- under the guard
ianshIp Of the law aud strictly regu-
lated, instead of having blind iDstttu-
items about as producing evil, and yet
we know not the course of that evil.
! am firmly convinced that you can
not legislate men into morality. l am
persuaded that IL is'impOssible TO make
men temperate by legislative enact
ment / do not close my eyes 10 the
fact that there are other forces in
the world than legislative enactment
and congressional provision Why. sir,
want ministers OF the gospel TO have
something to do. and there are better
forces to be arrayed against this evil
than legislative enactment.
/ believe in the liberty OF the indi-
viduai, and II you want 10 know how
dear TO me the liberty of the individual
>
trary from the position taken upon this
floor by the gentleman from Sewer
county, Notwithstanding all the array
OF bloodcurdling incidents that may be
related as growing out OF the acts OF
men under the influence OF intoxicating
liquors, Notwithstanding all that, so
dear 10 me is the liberty OF the indi-
Vidual that j would pay that price for
il, and il / could l would not destroy
the liberty and agency OF man.
Mr. Miller-May 1 ask the gentleman
a question? How about the weaker
Ones-the wives and children OF the
unfortunate men2
Mr. Roberts-You may add that 10
the list also, If you will. l recognize.
sir, that Omnip0tence has the power 10
blot this thing out OF existence, and
yet He WithhOlds His hand. He per-
mits it TO exist You viii see. there
fore. gentlemen. that 1 am prepared 10
vote against the amendment which
adopts the minority report. and in IA
vor of the motion TO adopt the majority
report.
one deduce that B. II. Roberts Is the
" else7 Would anyone suppose that
one else who has changed his position
Is to expose it is not at all clear, but