The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1914-10-31
NATIONAL PROHIBITION
Reason Why Congress Should Submit
The Resolution

Extract From Argument by w. b.
Wheeler at the Hearing Before
the Judiciary Committee of the
House and Senate at Washington.
There are two fundamental reasons
why Congress should pass the resolu-
ton to submit the amendment to the
constitution to the states for national
Prohibition.
/. The people have an inherent
right to better their conditions by
prohibiting the liquor traffic in
any unit of government.
2. The beverage liquor traffic
has no inherent right to exist
anywhere in the United States.
These reasons are found in the con-
stitution Itself, III more strictly speak
ing, in the preamble to our national
constitution. The purposes of govern
ment as set forth in that preamble are
as follows:
To form a more perfect union;
to establish justice; TO PRO-
MOTE THE GENERAL VEL
FARE; and secure the blessings
of liberty to ourself and our pos
terity.
The power granted to the people to
"promote the general welfare is fun
damental and furnishes the basis for
our appeal for this resolution. Under
this grant, or guarantee in the organ
ic law, the people have complete au-
thority to make progf rs ana enact
legislation as fast as they are ready
for it and the courts are convinced
that the legislation in question comes
within this power.
One of the most interesting and in
spring chapters in the history of
moral reforms is the record of our
courts showing how this power to pro-
mote the general welfare expands as
civilization advances. In constituting
this power in the national constitution
and similar guarantees I'll state con-
stituitons the courts have reached the
conclusion that one of the best ways
to promote the general we:fare is 10
protect the public morais.
The courts of this country are un
animous Oh one proposition at least
and that is that the liquor business is
of a character so menacing to the
public welfare and public morals that
no man can claim the maiienabe right
W eHSdSt III II, anu iio liietll N'ii NNi'
plain if, after having CHOSEN his voca-
ton, his business is regulated or pro-
hibited by law, whatever the property
loss to him may be and whatever the
means devised by the government to
accomplish such regulation or Prohi-
bition, so long as such means are real
sonably necessary to effect the pur-
pose designed.
Began Contests In The States.
When the people realized that under
the constitution of the United States
and the state they had an inherent
right to better their conditiC IS by pro
hibiting the traffic, ;hey naturally
turned to the states because the states
under the police power mad ample au-
thority to prohibit the beverage liquor
traffic whether the constitution of the
state made any reference to the que5-
ton or not. Some of the states in aG-
dition to the police power put into the
constitution specific provisions au-
thoriZing the legislature to prohibit
the traffic or to place any burden upon
it short of Prohibition. 1t is propo-
sition of law too well settled to re-
quire discussion, that the liquor trat-
fic may be prohibited or restricted by
the states under their police power or
in accordance with any specific proVi-
sion in the constitution.
In nearly all of the states, except
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Neva-
da, the people have secured for them
selves wholly or in part, this right to
protect themselves from the liquor
traffic and to better their conditions by
the enactment of local option or Pro
hibition laws In most states the peo-
pie started their fight by asking for
government This means local OPP
ton by precincts, wards, townships,
villages, cities, etc. AS the vision of
the people broadened and their con-
victions deepened on this question.
they asked for further opportunity
to t",ter their conditions by asking
for local option for counties and then
for the right to vote the liquor traffic
out of the entire state.
Under these laws between forty and
fifty million people in the United
States have prohibited the saloons and
the beverage liquor traffic. Over 100
counties out of 1856 are dry; nine
states dry, tenth one will be; six
others have already fixed dates for
election for statewide vote on the
question of prohibiting the liquor traf-
fic. Two-thirds of the saloons of the
United States are within the boundar-
les of ten states. There are more sa-
looms in Chicago than in all of the ter
ritory south of the Mason and Dixon
line. There are more saloons in New
York city than in all the states COM
bined necessary to carry state Prohi
biton.
Liquor Traffic Opposes Restrictive
Legislation.
The liquor interests, representing a
business which has been characterized
by our supreme court as "a source of