The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-06-24
GOV. BALDWIN
ON PROHIBITION

Gov. Baldwin makes it quite clear
that he is not in favor of prohibition.
Consequently he will not make an ad-
dress of welcome to the Prohibition
conference to be held in South Man
chester in July. He has many other
invitations to other functions that
seem to him to deserve his presence
more than body Of undoubtedly we'll
intentioned enthusiasts who. in the
words Of the Governor, care irving
to crowd total abstinence down every.
body's throat
Good for Gov. Baldwin! This is
what we call having the courage of
ones convictions. And better still
the convictions in this instance are
right and just. Prohibition has proved
flat failure.
In 1908, when Vermont and New
hampshire, after many years Of trial,
repealed prohibition, the best iudO,
ment of the country believed that
prohibition was a dead issue. The
statewide prohibition wave that start
ed with Georgia in 1907 did not rep
resent the sober sense and conviction
of the public, but was brought about
by frenzy, created through bun-
combe, that has had no parallel in the
political history of the country. State
wide prohibition was doomed from its
beginning. 1t will probably never
again move the public as it did in the
eighties, when it was really q serious
issue, and as it has done during the
past few years. Missouri's majority
against prohibition last November was
218,125 in total Of 632,687.. This
oversteps the 188,O27 majority against
prohibition by Pennsylvania in 1889.
Florida's majority against prohibition
was about $500 in a total vote of
about $4,000. Public sentiment ON the
question is more correctly reflected by
the Missouri than by the Florida vote.
There are important contests yet to be
waged. The elections to be held on
the question in the states of Texas and
West Virginia shortly are merely the
elimination of past agitation, and
their purpose is to clear the boards Of
the issue. In the state Of Maine resub-
mission has been forced by an over
whelming public opinion against the
wish of the dominant party in the
state.
Everywhere there is evidence Of a
distinct tendency away from prohibi-
tion. The needs of more than 80 per
cent of the people have called into
existence the liquor trade, the product
of which their overwhelming Judgment
has declared by usage to be whole
some. The people are seeking to hind
er individual abuse as far as possible
by regulating the distribution Of the
product, but experience has taught
even the total abstainer that prohibi-
tion does not prohibit.
1t is the duty of the liquor trade to
show sturdy compliance with the laws
as they are. Bad laws tempt disobcdi-
enee, and this is more natural when
the laws forbid things not felt by the
mass of the people to be unreason-
able. Bad laws enforced and complied
with hasten their own Improvement.
Laws cannot stand which, in their ef-
feet, defy the will and the belief Of
the people. So long as the liquor trade
stands firmly in the position Of obedi-
ence to present regulation and shows
a willingness honestly to do it's share
in the improvement of the laws, it will
be worthy of the function which the
public has delegated to it, and will do
its share toward reaching that maxi
mum OF eHcleucy IN reSuidtlon LUZ oil
concerned which the public at large
desires and eventually will secure.
Macaulay gave as one definition of
history that it was series of expert
ments in government At no distant
day the people and the liquor trade of
this country will have completed their
experiments in regulation, and from
those experiments will have drafted
system of regulation which will ac-
complish a maximum of good, and re-
lieve the liquor industry from the
harassment of uncertainty and mis-
take to which, in the past, it has been
subjected.-New Haven Union.