Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1916-06-02
THE NEWS AND PROHIBITION.

RECENTLY the Descret News has
experienced wonderful change of
heart on The question of Prohibition.
Heretofore for the past year or two,
It has been conspicuously silent on
this question which majority of the
people of the state regard as all i'm
portant. and which is along the line
of the tenants Of the Mormon Church,
which the News is supposed at all |
times to represent and express; but |
for the past few weeks the News has
APPARENTLY awoke from it's lethargy
and seemingly has decided TO support
the cause Whether this front is
merely q "dickey' that is donned for
appearance sake at this time and will
be laid 90 one side when the legisla-
ture assemblies again and the question
is once more up to the lawmakers (as
was the case when the legislature was
last in SESSION. or whether the change
time can prove We hope that the
conversion is genuine and that the in
fuence Of the organ Of the Church
may be with the citizens who are la
boring for the emancipation and up
lifting Of our fair state.
II has been a matter of deep regret
and chaeriu upon considerable
portion Of the Mormon people, that
the Deseret News, the acknowledged
orPan of their Church, at q time when
its influence could have won the day
for prohibition closed up like clam
and delivered the people into the hands
of their enemies, notwithstanding the
president Of the church and many Of
the other high officials were proclaim
ing their loyalty to the cause. There
has been an Inconsistency here that
the people have been unable to ex-
plain or understand, except upon the
hypothesis that "there was a Niger
in the wood-pile, somewhere"
We trust that the colored gentleman
has now been discovered and removed,
and chat the News will henceforth be
found on the side Of temperance, hon
estv and progress.
The News truly says that the fight
this year Is going to be warm, and
while we are interested in learning
that the temperance forces are organ
lied and ready for the fray, the only
organization and campaigning we have
thus far observed is on the part OF
the opponents of prohibition, which is
certainly in strong evidence.
In fact, the opposition appears In
be so firmly entrenched and confident
of carrying the day, that we are dis
posed to wonder if il is not all part
of the gape for the Deseret News to
have lain low until the opposition had
gained the mastery of the situation
and now make pretense at resist.
ance when Il can avail nothing, or in
other words, do no harm.
The determined effort that is being
made to lonize Governor Spry, ant
the ready way in which people
throughout the state, and particularly
in the rural districts, are disposed tc
swallow the pill that is fixed up fol-
them, does not augur well for the sue
cess Of prohibition. For with the ex'
perience Of the past four years be
fore US, we should know by this time
that the Liquor interests and the so
called business men of Salt Lake anC
Ogden who are opposing prohibition
own Governor Spry, body and soul
We had as well look to an iceberg fol-
our winters supply of fuel as to Gov
ernor Spry for statewide prohibition
Yet it is evident that a supreme eff
fort is already under way to secure
his nomination 70 succeed himself as
governor Of the state.
We trust that the News speaks adj
visably In relation to the organiza'
ton of tie temperance forces, but we
fear it rs merely a ruse to disarm the
friends of the cause, who may be lured
into remaining inactive and depend
upon the Deserct News to make the
fight for them.