The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-06-05
Why Don't the Optionists and rrolii-
az bitionists Pull Together

The beverage liquor traffic is fun
damentally wrong. 1t cannot do bus
mess without getting a permit for a
price paid in hand. If you do not be-
lieve this, go out and start a moon
shine cdistillery or locate on some
cross roads and start a saloon. AL
coholic products are poison. The pro-
hibition party therefore declare for
the capture of the ADMINISTRATION
local, state and national. ] believe
| this is the only method that promises
success in wiping out an evil that is
| intrenched SO strongly in our govern
mental affairs that it controls the ac-
! ton of both dominant political par
| ties. What is Local Option? Local
means place and option means choice.
| Hence choice of something in a GER
| tain place. Local Option as applied
| to the liquor traffic means that If a
| majority of the voters in certain
place prefer licensed saloons they
shall have them. If a majority are
against licensed saloons, they shall
| not have them. 1t is wrong to have
saloons. You cannot make legally
| right what is morally wrong. Every
public speaker these days loves to
quote from Abraham Lincoln Even
in his day, before it had become the
master Of both political parties, he
| realized the full import Of the traffic.
this controversy the one pressing
upon every mind that gives the SUBJ
| Ject careful consideration, is that le-
| CALLING the manufacture, sale and use
| of Intoxicating liquors as a beverage
| is wrong-as all history and every de-
| velopment Of the traffic proves it to
| be-a moral, social and political
wrong" He also said, I'VE must not
| be satisfied until the public sentiment
| of this state and the individual con-
| science shall be instructed to look
upon the saloon keeper and the liquor
seller, with all the license earth can
give him, as simply and only priv
ileged malefactor." Here are two
utterances from the man who in
foremost place in the nation. Get the
| ideas clearly fixed and then apply
| your local option plan. How much of
| a majority vote will be needed to
| transpose those ringing words, and
make them say 1T is all right if the
majority wants it So" Local option is
wrong. No one has any option in a
| thou shalt not is the dictum of holy
| writ
So much for the principle. Now
| what about the practice. The prohi-
bitionist will do all the optionist does,
| but ne is not willing to stop there.
No question is settled until it is set
| tied right. If the saloons were voted
out by the option plan, could be fore
| ed to stay out, the horse would have
another color entirely. Even then,
| look at the farce in the local option
| law of our state. Suppose the saloons
were voted out TO stay (Which you
cannot do) you have this incubus
right at hand in the shape of law, or
| provided that nothing in this act
| IN la
| manufacture of Intoxicating liquor
| from the raw material in any no-li-
cense unit, nor the delivery of same"
No option on that. That is the joker
something that is found in nearly
all so-called temperance legislation.
AS compared with third party prohi-|
| bition the option plan appeals strong
| " to the manufacturers of the drink.
The agitation started by the prohibit
tionists more than forty years ago,
and aided by the w. C. r. u, has pro-
duced such a sentiment that about rs
per cent of all the voters think that
| the liquor traffic should die. The
| option plan gives them fighting
| chance, and of the many millions
| that they make each year they will
| ingly spend a few to keep this delu-
sion before the people and prolong the
| life of he traffic. ]. V. MOHR.
Editor Herald notice in your
columns much has been said regard
| ing the utilization of the large
| amount of fruit that annually goes
to waste in the Yakima Valley be-
cause of the absence of canneries and
| evaporators. 1t is matter that
should receive the thoughtful con-
sideratit of not only the fruit gre "
ers themselves but the business men
OF the community. for il would mean
| a great many extra dollars put into
| circulation that are now a total loss.
Canneries and evaporators are be-
| ing advocated and should be. but
| there seems TO be a lack of interest
On the part Of the lruii Srewers suf-