The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-06-24
PROHIBITION VS.. LOCAL OPTION
The Prize Winning Essay at Burr and
Burton Seminary. 1915, written by
Miss Helen T.. Purdy of Manchester.

Burton Seminary. 1915, written by
Miss Helen +. Purdy of Manchester
Our noble land, America, was first
discovered. history tells as, in that
memorable year, 1892. by Christopher
Columbus Al the present time, the
United States is thiek!y populated by
grand and prosperous people, each
striving, In his own way, for what he
considers the best interests Of the
country One vital question, the liquor
traffic, concerns each and every man
or woman--separates them into two
decided parties--the one desirous of
prohibition, the other of local option.
The prohibitionists favor the enact
ment and enforcement Of laws pro-
hibiting the manufacture and sale Of
alcoholic liquors, except, possibly by
the government, for medicinal pur-
poses The local optionists desire the
enactment of laws, allowing the legal
sale Of intoxicating liquors, in licensed
saloons, in such towns as vote in favor
OF il. The former claim prohibition
necessary to the welfare Of the people; I;
the latter, that prohibition does not
prohibit; that the legal sale of liquors
is preferable 10 the existence of blind
tigers and "speak easys:" terms ap-
piled to places where liquor is kept
and sold Illegally.
Daniel Webster once exclaimed: "lt
Is, sir, the peoples constitution, the
peoples government made for the
people, made by the people, answer
able to the people" The peoples will
will decide whether or not we shall
have nationwide prohibition; such
motion would be made by the people,
for the people, and would surely be
answerable to the people.
The Lord wishes the best Of conduc,
that we can give. Can the drunken
class give Him what He asks when
under the influence Of the white
mans fre-water ?" Surely not. There
are many of the lower classes who
have neither the education nor the will
power to withstand liquor, once the
habit is formed. Nationwide prohibi-
tion would place liquors beyond the
reach Of all men, except for medicinal
purposes. Local option encourages
liquor-drinking, placing the saloon
sign in plain sight of every man who
passes, with the actual thing just
within the doors, within the reach of
many ignorant, weak people.
The sot, as he enters the saloon may
we'll be compared to the wild beast
which approaches dangerously near
the pitfall prepared by wary hunter.
He enters, stalks to the bar, orders
"three fingers Of whiskey or a glass
Of other favorite drink, pays for it,
possibly, and leaves. The thirst for
liquor increases, he returns, from time
to time, and drinks to excess. He
finally lends up" in a straight jacket,
suffering from delirium tremons, or
else dies suddenly The physician an
nounces "heart-failure, but rumor
has it "too much drink" Such is the
lot of many a man, in local option
district, while prohibition would keep
liquor beyond his reach.
Two aims, of the American people,
are to uplift its citizens and to free
the nation from every moral wrong.
The people of the United States or
dained and established the constitu-
tion of our nation, "in order to form
more perfect union, establish justice,
ensure the domestic tranquility, pro-
vide for the common defence, promote
the general welfare, and secure the
blessings Of liberty to Ourselves and
cur posterity." Local option hinders
each and every one Of those phrases.
Can we form a compound, namely, the
union, approaching perfection, from
drunkards and men Of high ideals ~
Nay, il would be mixture. Can citi-
zens, under the influence of liquor, or
with minds hazy from the effects of 1t,
promote the general welfare Of their
country? No. No educated person
would answer in the affirmative.
| believe in prohibition because:
alcohol is unnecessary; il acts as
poison, deadening the nerves, retard-
ing the digestion and by breaking
down the minute cells Of the body; it
destroys the happiness in thousands of
homes, annually. Drunkards say that
death is inevitable, but statistics show
that the lives Of drunkards are short
ened from ten to thirty years, accord
ing TO their indulgence. Homer said:
"Inhaming wine, pernieious to man
kind,
Unnerycs the limbs and dulls the noble (
mind
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