The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-06-26
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
"WhO Slew All These?"
To the Editor of The Republican:

tyrannical, the people are the tyrants,
and so tyrannize over themselves. 1t
is urged that we are not educated up to
this vet. This then is an admission of
a higher plane than the one on which
we are living. They tell us there is no
use of this and consequently they charge
God with a mistake. Law was not
made for men who are educated up to
the point where they will not break it.
They do not need it. 1t is made for law
breakers.
The law against stealing is not for
the man who does not steal but for the
thief. For law breakers alone the law
was made. The theory of the law is to
deal with law breakers and not the re-
specters of law. This principle runs
through Gods universe.
You have seen the child thrust its
hand into blaze and suffer the conse-
quences. 1t did not know any thing of
law. 1t could say the word, maybe,
but was ignorant of law; it knew not a
thing of its meaning. But it suffered,
more indeed than the man whose hard
ened hand was thrust into the same
blaze, though he knew all about the law.
Now that law was educating the child,
for it would not do so again.
When God said, thou shalt not steal,
the law lay along the line of this prin-
ciple
The state can't prohibit stealing, but
does she say, since we cannot prohibit
it, we will throw down all restrictions,
or we will put premium on it and al
low you to steal all you want, provided
you will divide the spoils, that is share
the profits with us. Some years ago
neighboring state adopted this principle
with the rum traffic, but in one year the
state paid out to rectify the evils of the
traffic So, 500, 900, and received from its
generous nature $3l 900. That is the
state paid out SO, 1863, 600 just to get
$31, 900 revenue. That was good bust
ness, wasn't it? Sane business princl-
pies. If a private citizen tried to do
business on that scale, he would be
judged a fit subject for an insane
asylum. Of course We are met with
the objection that it will not prohibit.
No prohibitorY law will, no one claims
that it will absolutely, but it will
efficiently.
1t will remove temptation and prevent
thousands from going down who are
now falling. The way to judge mat
ter is by its history. Here we are will
ing to rest our cause. Its progress IN
Maine after its embodiment in legisla-
ton, is good proof that its practical
workings must have been beneficial
Some of your readers can recall the
time when license was the rule and 1t
prevailed everywhere, but its results
are known to all. The prohibitory
policy was over thrown in Maine once
after its embodiment, and license law
ouDiIlINCOs Dul u idl VI lNO ICdI >
satisfied the people that it was a mis-
take, and by decided vote put it down
and reinstated prohibition which has
never been abrogated.
In spite of opposition from gigantic
selfish interests the principle has been
growing and it will because it is found
ed on truth. Why is it that the liquor
interests invariably oppose this policy
and favor license or free whiskey-
chiefly license. Because it diminishes
the sale and consumption of liquor. If
more were sold under prohibition than
under license, it would advocate pro-
hibition. For years the liquor interests
in Maine bitterly opposed ever effort
of the temperance people to have Con-
gress provide for a careful official in
vestigation of the liquor traffic and the
working of prohibitory and license laws.
Why did they do this? They knew that
statistics would prove the effectiveness
of prohibition over license. 1t drives
dram shops into hidden corners, which
is gain for the temptations which
saloons, armed with a certificate of re-
spectacle character, by the law, furn-
ishes to weak and inexperienced as they
pass by. are more dangerous than those
of the dram shop that is driven into
secret places where only those who
seek them come in contact with them.
The sentiment has grown in the last
wears with amazing rapidity. There
have been GIBBS and flows but decided
gains on the whole. West Virginia has
show what the people of any state can
do when they get together and have a
mind to work. Then we must keep to-
gether. Our great trouble in the past
has been that the temperance forces
hadn't enough sense enough to work
together, while the liquor interests
were unit. If mad dog or two should
break loose in our streets there would
be a commotion in earnest. Everybody
would be trying to get whack at the
beast. Old guns would be gotten out
and cleaned up in hope of having pop
at the dog Why not? That would be
the proper course. wise, humane and in
self-defense. Every one would prac-
tice the law of self protection and do
their best to protect their homes against
the danger of rabies. He would be a
coward or william who would not. But
half dozen, or fifty saloons may exist
in a place and little or no effort be made