The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-06-17
Moses Thatcher
Is Answered
Publishing Committee Of Betterment
League Gives Its Views on the
Subject

IN tne paper on lueSuay dppedreu
the speech of the Hon. Moses Thatch'
er, delivered before the Constitution
al convention in 1895. This speech is
chara ,teristic of many other efforts
made by Mr.. Thatcher during his
life time. 1t is gnifed eloquent and
courteous and presents the speakers
viewpoint with power and clearness
For the time and place 1t was good
speech We do not wish to discredit
it. or the one who delivered 1t; but
we do not think 1t applies to the pres.
ent issue in Logan City.
Mr.. Thatcher was opposing the
placing of a clause in the constitu.
ton Of the state prohibiting the man.
ufacture and sale Of alcoholic liq
uors. That is not the question now
before the voters Of Logan. Many
Of us who now oppose the return OF
the saloon to Main street may have
agreed with Mr.. Thatcher on the
point he was then discussing. In
passing II might be we'll to quote one
significant sentence from Mr.. Thatch'
er's speech. He said. 81 shall vote
for the rejection Of this clause (the
prohibition clause) and leave It with
the leg stature and with the cities. y
The question was left with the legis'
lature of this state and since that
time the legislature has acted and In
accordance with the desire of Mr..
Thatcher the question Is now put
squarely up to the voters OF the city.
1t should be pointed out also that
the speech OF Mr.. Thatcher was de-
livered just twenty years ago. Our
friends, the Improvement League
would have us believe that conditions
have not changed in this county or
in this state during the last twenty
years. They seem not to realize that
the last two decades were frought
with more rapid change in our econo-
mic and social life, and have seen the
passage Of many more "sumptuary
laws" than any other two decades In
the history OF the world. The rapid
growth of such sciences as economics,
sociology, penalogy, criminology and
the rest, has made clear the need OF
such construs tive legislation. The ex'
haustive study OF alcoholic, itself and
its direful effects, has had most
wonderful effect on legislature. Since
the Utah Constitutional convention
we in the United States have gone
from condition in which practically
no states were dry to condition In
which 10 states have passed prohibi-
ton laws. and more than one half OF
the one hundred millions Of people in
the United States are living under
prohibition. The rapid strides that
have been taken in Europe in the last
few years is further proof of the
changed view point We are getting the
world over. ..s
Mr.. Thatcher in his speech has
much TO say about the inability to
enforce prohibition laws. In support
of his constitution he calls our atten
ton to conditions which prevailed in
Logan twenty years before when a
citizen was hanged. In other words
our failure to enforce laws forty
years ago Is used as proof that we
can't do 1t now Everybody knows
that forty years ago in these small
towns in the west, law and order did
not exist to the same extent that
they do now. Many of us can remem
Der when 1t was necessary for the
people OF one town who went to o
dance in an adjoining one to go pre-
pared to defend themselves at any
cost. There was practically no en-
forcement of laws Of any kind. This
condition no longer prevails especial
ly in our own city. We can 60 our
way in comparative safety because
we know that laws for our protection
are being more rlgidly enforced as
tine goes on
In addition IN our general imDrOyed