The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-10-30
A HISTORY OF PROHIBITION.

A HISTORY OF PROHIBITION.
Statewide prohibition has been
tried in many states Of the Union, and
in none OF them is It a success. II
increases drunkenness, It takes out OF
the hands of the people their power to
regulate the saloon, it increases the
] expense OF administering the govern
ing OF state. county. town and city.
without adding to its revenue. Those
are the effects of statewide prohibi-
ton.
Maine adopted prohibition in 1851,
and still has it on her statute books.
but It has never been enforced. be-
cause 1t cannot be, and in the towns
and cities Of that state open saloons
are as familiar to the public as in any
state in the Union. The Democratic
party captured the state government
OF Maine this fall for the first time in
fifty years, on a platform of local op-
ton and regulation. and squeezed sew
eral free trade congressman through
on that issue, in protection Maine.
Vermont followed Maine in 1852 by
the adoption Of prohibitory laws, kept
them on her statute books for half a
century, and at the end of that time
the voters on four separate occasions
declared for the license and regula-
ton system, which they finally secured
i'm 1903. All the towns in the state
Of any size gave a majority for ncens-
ing the saloon. There are fewer gov
eminent liquor licenses taken cut in
Vermont just now. under the open
regulated saloon. than in statewide
prohibition in Maine.
New Hampshire passed a statewide
prohibition law in 1855. and tried 10
enforce it for thirty-four years. In
April. 1889. at a popular election. 10
put a prohibitory amendment In the
state constitution. 1t was defeated by
an overwhelming majority. In 1903.
the state returned TO the license and
strict regulation system.
MASSACHUSETTS, tried prohibition from
1885 10 1870. After fifteen years OF
trial the state repudiated the state
wide prohibition policy and when an
attempt was made in 1889 TO engraft
a prohibition amendment upon the
state constitution, the amendment was
defeated by a majority of 44,552. Mas
saehusetts had had enough of it. It is
a curious fact that at that election the
saloonists supported the amendment.
and the ministers and temperance So
cieties opposed 1t.
Rhode Island adopted prohibition in
1853. The results were so injurious
that in 1863 the law was repealed. In
1886 the state again adopted prohibit
ton. but in 1883 the state again re-
pudiated it by q vote OF three to one.
Connecticut adopted statewide
prohibition in 1854. repudiated it in
1872. and in 1888 defeated an attempt
to place IT IN the state constitution by
a vote OF over three TO one.
New York passed prohibitory laws
in 1884. tried them for two years and |
gave up the attempt as hopeless.
Pennsylvania, in June. 1889, by the /
greatest majority vote ever cast on any
subject in the state since the founda- |
ton OF the Union. declared that that /
OF the temperance question /
was hopeless and foolish.
Maryland adopted prohibition IN
1855. but tried It for only a few
months. repudiated it. and has never
again tried the experiment.
Delaware tried II in 1855. but gave
Il up in 1857. and has never tried 1t
again.
Ohio also tried 1t in 1858. but wiped
he law of the statute books the same
year. and Is governing its liquor trafle
under a local option law.
Michigan adopted statewide pro-
addition law IN 1883. tried for twenty
-wo years 10 enforce IT by extraordi-
nary police regulations under the
whole power OF the state. then aban-
Toned it in 1872. you cannot talk
to the people of Michi-
;an." said General Russell A. Alger.
they have tried 1T and know what a
lire failure IL is"
Indiana passed a statewide prohi-
,ition measure in 1855. but It was new
+ enforced. and was soon abandoneJ.
n 1882. another effort to impose
tate-wide prohibition upon the state
vas defeated by the biggest majority
yer given on any question in the
tate for twenty years.
Nebraska adopted prohibition In
$50. soon repealed the law. and in
$50 defeated a second effort at it by
majority OF $4,000. The cowboy
mayor OF Omaha was nominated for !
'overnor by the Democrats this year /
n a platform that does not even stand ,
or local option. and William j. BRYAN {
las bolted the ticket because he in !
lists upon county option
In 1855 the legislature OF Illinois !
nacted a statewide prohibition law