The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1917-02-23

In reform movement of any kind
there are those to be found who will
outclass the original movers in rad
icalism Very often these radicals de-
velop after having opposed. openly or
covcrtly. the pending reform, and then
to make up for their shortcomings,
and when the reform becomes an es-
tablished fact, rush into the lime light
as extremists This has been conspic-
uously demonstrated in the prohibition
movement, that suddenly developed a
mighty strength, and is now sweeping
the country. For years and years pro-
hibition, as applied TO state wide en-
actments. gained ground very slowly
The original object of the movement
was fof the purpose of abolishing the
saloon, and the liquor interests were
largely responsible for finally bring
ing the catastrophe upon themselves,
doing more TO promote a sentiment
against the open sale of liquor than
! all the prohibition workers in the land.
/ The saloon insisted on becoming fac
tor in politics and for years welded
powerful and sinister influence in the
I selection OF men TO public office Had
the liquor dealers kept out OF politics.
had they exercised a modicum of
judgment in the conduct of their bus
mess, had public exhibitions of intoxi-
cation, disgusting TO every man and
woman possessing a particle of self
respect. been prevented as in a ma
! iority of cases it could have been, if
places where liquors We're sold had
been conducted quietly, If the tempta
ton had not been so openly Haunted,
| II the common drunkard had been re-
fused liquor and the minors barred
from the doors public sentiment could
not have been aroused for years to the
pitch it finally reached, although OPP
position to the open saloon was slowly
crystalizing. and the end of the bust
ness eventually was inevitable The
numerous causes enumerated led to
the Fastening of the end The people
/ of this state voted Washington dry
under the present system that allows
OF the initiation of new laws After
year under state wide prohibition no
one, or at least very few. would be
willing to return to the old order of
things. The law was good enough as
it sood until thoroughly tested, but
extremists in the present legislature
Tor were they enemies of prohibition p
have weakened the prohibition spirit
among the masses by enacting what is
commonly known as the bone dry"
measure, coupled with an emergency
clause, making it operative within 80
days. This new measure eliminates the
present permit provision of the old law
thus annulilng the action o fthe voters
at the polls. The present law has been
in force only year. 1t has worked a
great change for the better, and the
permit system has not worked to the
detriment of the body polite The law
should not have been tempered with
until further experience, and then if
the public demanded a change It
would have been demanded through
the initiative 1t is doubtful, very
doubtful, If the state would have gone
dry when it did had the bone dry pro-
vision been incorporated into the
proposed measure, and if submitted to
a vote today it would meet with far
more opposition than any measure
pertaining to prohibition that has yet
been put directly up to the people.