The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1914-09-25

against it. The saloon has no party
policies. Except as. it's business is
treated with destruction. it would
never be hearl of in public af-
fairs. Menaced with confiscation.
the men engaged in it, citizens and
taxpayers with the rest of us, do as
the butcher, the baker and candle
stick maker would do if similar be-
set-organize to resist; to pull out
if may be, to buy out if need be.
other interests representing accumu-
lations of capital, it is able to put
considerable sums of money where
money will do the most good, and
the many State capitals being easily
made the storm-centers of agitation
for blackmail, opportunities for the
employment of this money are Great
ed by designing politicians who go
to these capitals for that express
purpose. Thus it is that corruption
breeds corruption.
For years Kentucky has been de-
MED all rational progress by inflam-
ed political conditions, largely due to
the congregation at Frankfort of the
unclean birds of ed remism, some
times calling themselves Democrats
and sometimes cakfing themselves
Republicans The ThirH House, of
which we hear so much, is bi-parti-
san. 1t could not do business other
wise. With a Republican Legisla-
ture it would masquerade as a Re-
publican, with Democratic Legisla-
ture~ as Democrat. 1t Ould not
OF oil -
Frankfort, often by leading men,
corporation officials and church
members, for corrupt purposes. In
evitably the Liquor Interests, con-
stantly and exceptionally exposed,
has been there, the ever-ready prey
of the vultures of the Lobby.
There are two ways of dealing
with it. We can enact such laws as
they have enacted in Tennessee,
practically confiscating the distiller-
les and the breweries. Or, we can
make such police regulation as will
regulate, and stop an agitation
which alternates venality and strife
These fanatic agitators 10 not
want Prohibition outright. All they
want is the Big Stick. Once in pow
er, they can do what was done in
Tennessee; that is, mongrelize the
politics of Kentucky by precipitat-
ing an issue which, wherever the
people have tried it, has brought
forth evil fruitage, without abating
the drink evil one iota or making
one drunkard less in any community
Nothing is surer than that if they
can by their dishonest scheme in
duce Kentucky to go their way, the
people will have deliberately thrown
away their birthright of freedom for
a mess of garbage.
Under the ministration of relig-
ion and morals, and the better ad-
visement and improved conditions of
modern life, the cause of Temper
ance the world over has made and
is making progress.
wherever public sentiment is
backed by law in sufficient force to
compel obedience to law, whatever
the people ordain carries with it the
requisite power. But whese public
sentiment is not behind the law
where laws are enacted in the teeth
of public sentiment in any commu
nity-thefe the law will not be en-
forced, but will fade into contempt,
and contempt for law in one thing
makes for lawlessness in all things,
degrading not elevating society.
"In such cases regulation, ade-
quately policed, should be the de-
mani of patriotic, self-respecting
people. Thoughtful men and women
must know that the situation in cit
les and towns is wholly different
from the situation existing in rural
neighborhoods The wish of isolat-
ed regions to enforce their own
conditions, however pure, upon un-
willing communities, is not only IL
logical, but has invariably proved
fulfil and hurtful. Even in morals
there is such thing as letting well
enough alone, and Kentucky to-day
occupies a position of which it may
be truly said she might go farther
to fare worse.
''In short and in fine, the whole
purpose of the agitators in precipi-
tating this issue upon the people of
Kentucky is to keep an agitation
alive out of which they themselves,
having gotten much already, have
everything to get, the people every
thing to lose; gambling upon the
sacred feelings of good citizens in
the interest of that which is as I'M
Christian and immoral; seeking to
foment the passion of the gullible
and excitable in public, in private,
to bully and blackmail the objects
at once Of it's creation and attack.
Some Of their leaders-maybe
some of their newspapers-are hon
est All are, or affect to be, hys-
terical. They foam at the mouth
and scream at the wind and beat the
air with their hands and arms like
the takers of whom we read in
books of Oriental travel. They can
never prevail unless Kentucky and
Kentuckians have gone mad 1t
would seem that no sane man