Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1912-09-20

Yelm, Wash, Sept. 16.
Editor STANDARD: 1 notice in your
paper that there is n petition in cir
culation for local option in Olympia.
1t seems strange to me that people
will persist in trying to do the i'm
possible. Prohibition never has pro-
hibited the use of liquor and never
will. Why? Because it is un-Amer-
lean, unpatriotic and a direct infringe
ment on personal liberty. No one has
a right to dictate to another what he
shall eat or drink. On the other hand,
no man has right to get drunk and
disturb the peace of the community.
Every man owes a duty to sobriety. If
one disturbs the peace of society by
drunken rowdyism, arrest and punish
him as any other viOlator of law. A
law unenforced breeds contempt for
the law.
Our laws against drunkenness are
strict enough if enforced. but the pun
ishment is not of the right kind. In
stead OF fine and Imprisonment, the
culprit should be compelled to work for
the public at so much per and the pro-
ceeds paid to his family. Fine and i'm
prisonment deprive the innocent fam
lily of the support to which it is justly
entitled. There are few men who
would run the risk of getting drunk
If they knew they would have to work
on a rock pile for a week or a month
without any remuneration and their
family still get the benefit of their Ia
bor No man has a right to squander
the money that should go to the sup
port Of his family. and the public
should not be punished by foolish re-
striction on their inalienable rights be-
cause a few weak minded men don't
know when they have enough.
Prohibition. like tariff, is simply
license on smuggling. 1t leads men to
do things surreptitiously and sneak
ingly that they ought to do openly like
a man. One ought not to be more
ashamed of taking drink of liquor
than he would be of buying pound
of crackers and he has just as much
right to the one IL he wants 1t as to the
other. but he has no right to make
hog Of himself in either case. 1 think
the statistics will show that there are
more people injured by over indul-
SGHCc Ill CdtluS IMAM Wy WINNING 1900
why not prescribe by law what man
should eat or what kind Of tobacco he
should smoke?
Every man should be permitted to do
just as he pleases, provided he does
not infringe on the rights OF another.
Prohibition is absolutely unjust and
injustice Is the basest of crimes. Thou
sands Of men have gone into the BUSH
ness Of manufacturing liquors, in good
faith. expecting the protection of the
state. the same as any other business.
and by the enactment Of prohibitory
laws have been financially ruined. Do
you call that justice!
Suppose the temperance fanatics sue
coed in local optioning Olympia, what
will be the result? The same as in
every other place where 1t has been
tried. Simply a spasmodic reform Of
an ephemeral character. the curtailment
Of business and the loss of revenue de-
rived from license that would other
wise go to the "bootlegger" and blind
pigger" that invariably crop out under
local option.
I have too much faith in the good
sense of the people of Olympia to be-
lieve they would allow themselves to
be gulled by local option fanaticism.
1t is all right in unpoliced villages
where there Is no one authorized to ar
rest violators of law, as at Yelm, for
instance. Saloons should be conducted
the same as any other legitimate BUSH
ness. on a moral basis. or not at all.
Here's hoping Olympia may do the
right thing at the right time. 1t Is my
favorite city and I should hate very
much to learn that the people had gone
looney. j. C.. CONNIE.