The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-10-12
REGARD PROHIBITION AS AN
ECONOMIC QUESTION.


For almost a year Idaho has been
dry state, and on the eth Of Novem-
Der the people are to vote on the
question OF permanently sabolishing
the liquor traffic by an amendment to
the constitution. That the amend
ment will be adopted by large ma
jority does not admit of a doubt. The
argument of personal liberty has been
worn to a FRAGILE by wet advocates,
and predictions of dire calamity have
been made which were certain to
follow the Punishment of booze from
Idaho. The right to drink what one
pleases sounds well and Is conceded
as an abstract proposition, but when
its exercise brings poverty, sorrow and
disgrace upon countless thousands, it
is time that the state should demand
| that 1t be surrendered as a measure
of public welfare. AS to the other
stock argument that prohibition Gre
ates business depression, the answer
is found in the smile of prosperity
that greets one in every part of the
state. In the Occur d'Alene district
there has been more building, both
business and residence, since the pro-
hibition law went into effect than has
been witnessed for years, and today
1t is practically impossible to find a
vacant business house or residence of
any description. These conditions are
the best answer to the opponents of
prohibition. This is viewed only from
and if presented from a moral view
point the argument would be even
more convincing. Our close neighbor,
Montana, is going to dispose of the
booze question in the coming cleo
ton, and all indications point to
sweeping victory for the drys. The
attitude of the people over there is in
dictated by the following editorial ex-
tract from the Muscular of last Sun
day:
with probably majority of the
voters who will cast their ballots
next month for a dry Montana, the
question is not so much a moral as
an economic one.
"They know that probably Is per
cent of the divorces in this state are
granted for drunkenness, desertion
and on-support, in most cases aris-
ing directly or indirectly through
drink, where booze has robbed the
pocketbook, palsied the brain or scar
ed the conscience of the offending
party.
They know thaS much of the pow
erty of the country is directly the re-
suit of booze; that large per cent of
the Industrial accidents are caused by
the misuse of intoxicating liquors.
''They know that debauchery and
prostitution and the red light tariv;s
on booze. They have their boys ruin
ed and homes made desolate on ac-
count of booze. They know that its
use and sale caters q
human passions and thrives upon
human weaknesses and that no one
can defend booze on moral grounds.
1T is not the women and preachers
that are furnishing the greatest
weight to the present movement that
is going to make Montana dry, but
the hard-headed, thinking man, who
but when he weighs the mer-
its and dement's of the present sys-
tenn cold -bloodedly In the balance of
his reason. has little difficulty in ar
irving at his verdict in the present
case.
Possibly absolute prohibition may
not come to stay. 1t may be that af-
ter we have come to full stop, we
may afterwards take stock of the
whole situation and find some better
plan of handling the question.
But at this time it seems about
as certain as any future thing can be
that the people of Montana have made
up their minds to put John Barley
corn out of business on November Z, |
by very heavy majority.
HE undoubtedly has many liSeable |
qualities, but his behavior, on the |
whole has been extremely bad"
The next legislature will he asked |