Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-05-09

6NHE idea of alcoholic prohibition is
an old one, much older than is
q generally understood except by
certain students of the movement There
have been temperance crusaders as far
back as recorded history reaches, and
at various times in the record of the
world temperance crusades have made
a considerable impress on the people.
In the reign of Edward VI of England
it was enacted that: "Forasmuch as in
tolerable hurts and troubles to the
commonwealth do daily grow and in
crease through such abuses and dis
orders as are had anI used in common
alehouses. the justices of the peace are
authorized to close houses at their dis
cretion."
Lord Keeper Egerton. in the reign of
Queen Eliza beth. directed the judges
then about to go on circuit to ascer-
tain for the information of the queen
how many aIehouses the justices of
the peace had pulled down. so that the
good and jealous justices might be re-
Warded and the evil removed"
In the middle of the nineteenth CEN
movement in the United States. Pro-
by Illinois in 1851, the lead having been
hibition in 1850, the latter state CON
tinuing to live under a prohibition gov
eminent until the repeal of the law in
1909. The prohibition law In Illinois
in 1853 Massachusetts adopted prohi-
bition in 1852 and repealed the law in
1865. Its prohibition law was re-enact-
ed the following year {1s6s). and this
continued in effect until its repeal. in
1875.
The experience of Rhode Island was
something like that of Massachusetts,,
Little Rhody" adopting prohibition in
1862, repeating the law in 1863. readopt-
Ing it in 1886 and again repeating it in
1889. Connecticut adopted prohibition
in 1854 and the law continued on the
statute books until 1872. In 1855 pro-
hibi.ion vas ss adopted G By De l In
Hampshire. New York. Ohio and Wis
consin. The prohibition movement was
the marvel OF that time. Other forces
we're at work. however. and Delaware
went back to an anti prohibition status
in 1867, Michigan in 1875 and Nebraska
in 1858.
The Indiana prohibition law Of 1855
was declared to be unconstitutional;
the New York law of the same year
was also declared unconstitutional the
Ohio law of that year was annulled by
a license tax law. and the Wisconsin
prohibition enactment of 1855 was We
toed by the governor
-
The temperance fight In Maryland in
1855 was especially strong. and a tenn
perance law passed in that year was
few months later repealed.
The prohibition law of New Hamp-
shire stood on the statute books from
1855 to 1908. the date of it's repeal.
In Europe tho steady growth of the
prohibition movement did not attract
the attention Of the outside world until
great emphasis was given 1t by the
present war. One of the early strokes
in the European temperance movement
was the establishment Of prohibition in
the North sea fisheries. That occurred
in 1888. Liquor ships. or ships engaged
in dispensing liquor to the fishing
fleets. did a thriving business, and in
these fishing fleets there was complaint
Of too much drunkenness. Following a
long period Of complaint a commission
was appointed, and all the nations hay-
ing interests in the fisheries of the
. North sea signed an agreement prshib-