Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1911-11-16
Able Men OPP
pose Present Law

uals are not advanced to the plac-
es Of responsibility in state,
church or press without they pos
sess ability and advocate what
the people are inclined to think
are fundamentally correct theor.
les Of government, the Bible and
the peoples good. Therefore,
men of we'll known parts, men
who have been foremost in the
public eye, in the church or in the
press, are legitimate subjects from
whom to quote in matters affect
ing the common good Of the mass
es Of the people, whose interests
it is always the duty of coun-
try newspaper to promote.
There is nothing selfish in the
promotion of the present cam
paign in this county. Its aims
are not to permit few men to
sell liquor, because of any person
al or implied interest in their
business or in their fortunes. 1t
is the conviction Of the better
class of people Of Idaho county
that the cause of temperance and
the respect for law and the fin
ances Of the county will be bet
ter served through the licensed
and properly restricted drinking
place than through the "speak-
easy" the "blind pig" or the
package" handled by express,
ali without the probability OF
proper police protection.
In harmony with all this, let
us turn to the advice Of some OF
the strongest minds of this great
nation:
i President VIM. H. Taft: Moth
ing is more foolish, nothing more
at variance with sound policy
than to enact a law which, by
reason of the conditions surround
ing the communities, is incapable
of enforcement. Such instances
are sometimes presented by
sumptuary law by which the sale
of Intoxicating liquors is prohib-
tied under penalty in localities
where the public sentiment OF
the immediate community does
not and will not sustain the en-
forcement of the law"
This is pretty safe logic. The
authority is high. The suggestion
he makes applies directly to Ida
no county. No posted reader o.
this paper will fail to think o.
Cottonwood and it's weekly ant
almost hourly disrespect of Law
in reading these words OF wisdom
from the President of the United
States. This injunction shoult
find quick application with tn
country people in the exercise o
their franchise, not for any sa
loon, for any revenue to be de
rived from a drinking place; but
: first, for better order Of drink
ing places, within police control
and second, for the necessity o
putting stop to the dlsobed
fence of law.
United States Senator Vest
81 am opposed to prohibition.
am opposed to it on principle.
am opposed to- it notwithstanding
the slurs that are made by 1t
advocates-tha every man VIII
dares oppose it favors intemper
ance and is working in the salool
interest. If you cannot trust pee
pie, their individual judgmen
and their conscience, and thei
= conviction after discussion, as t
their health and what they shal
drink, in the name OF commo'
sense how can you trust them a
the ballot box with the destin.
of the country. !"
In all his long and brilliant ca
reer, Senator Vest was bold ez
ponent of the people. He had a
abiding faith in the Righteousness
of purpose and a never failin
confidence in their desire to b
temperate and to abide by a
reasonable statutory amendment
Count Leo Tolstoi, noted al
thor and philosopher: "Wh
should there be any prohibitio
of the sale of alcoholic drink
Why shouldn't l have the rigl
to drink what / like, provided
do it decently and not to excess
Because one person makes fot
of himself is no reason why tn
next person should be deprive
of it. The people of Americ
seem to be tending in a who'll
wrong direction in this matter.
Tolstoi had his own peculia