The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-09-26
powers. according to the latest RETURNS


today.
In our own state some local option
elections have been held. Scioto,
where our state concention is to be
now In the dry list But Ohio seems
to be in an attitude of suspended ami
nation pending the constitutional con
vention, or rather all activities in re-
gard to the liquor question seem to
be directed toward the issues of that
event. Let us look for a few minutes
at the history of Ohio's liquor laws,
Ohio had license system from 1892
to 1851. The first license law was
adopted by two judges and the terri
torial legislature was created The
license system proved so unsatisfac-
tory that the laws were changed and
amended until at least eight different
laws had been enacted In 1851. 40
years after the first state constitution
was formed in 1902, the new consti
tuition of Ohio was adopted. AT this
time. the license system, having been
tried in almost every form was reject
ed by, the voters of Ohio. They thus
gave their verdict that it was fail
ure, and relegated the liquor-protect-
ing systemic the rear after having
tried it for sixty years. Then in 1851,
a law was passed which gave the state
legislature full power to provide
the traffic. On this provision several
restrictive laws were enacted, such as
that prohibiting the sale of liquor to
be drank on the premises, and the
civil damage laws, etc. From 1852 to
1902, municipal councils were given
power to regulate or prohibit the retail
liquor traffic. From 1882 until the
present time the policy of taxing the
liquor traffic has been in effect. 1t
is upheld by the courts on the ground
that the taxation of the liquor traffic
is not license. A license is permis-
sion to do thing, which it would be
illegal to do without such permission.
This simply makes the traffic pay for
some of the evil it does, but gives it
no permission to exist
This law is authorized by the Sec
tion of the constitution which provides
that the legislature may provide
against the evils resulting from the
traffic. All our liquor laws are based
on this theory.
License was tried in Ohio 60 years
and was proven failure. Taxation
has been tried 30 years and most of
us are ready to say that while high
cense still all efforts that have been
and are being made to regulate the
business satisfactorily have proven
failures. The coming constitutional
convention of 1912 will have power to
prohibit by constitutional enactment
the manufacture and sale of alcoholic
beverages in Ohio Who will say that
a business that results in so much
degradation, crime and misery, is not
better abolished than regulated?
Let every influence be brought to
bear that the constitution of 1912
adopt prohibitory clause
Knox county while it is normally a
dry county has many violations of the
laws, and some officials, who fail Ia
mentally in performing their duty.
We need stronger public sentiment
in favor of total abstinence from al
cohol and narcotics, of law enforce
ment, of purity in thought and deed,
of higher Standard of morality, of
a higher sense Of personal response
bility
The Knox county Womans Christ.
ian Temperance union has done much
| good, Much, remains to be done. No
doubt many things might have been
done that we have failed to accom-
plish Even the women of the W. G.
II. U. are not infallible.
A few of the things done should be
mentioned at this time.
Last year in convention plan OF
work was adopted which | feel has
been well carried out, The general
plan was that we give particular at
tention to the educational features OF
work
In the s. r. |. essay contest work
several schools competed The super
intendent of that department has a
good report to make, will not spoil il
by giving any OF 1t now.
No young peoples branch has beer
formed But an L., T, l.. has beer
sustained, report of which will be
given later.
The clause which recommends that
speakers be secured and meetings
held in each union was carried out il
May, when Mrs Sheldon and myself
visited every union in the county ant
hold e,,ccaccfuI inotitufa I'm aach