The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1917-02-03
dean of All Saints cathedral,

"a AAh SsS'sSS S-'t
Spokane, embrace the position
of very many citizens who be-
lieve in good government and
sane legislation:
I hold no brief for the liquor traffic
especially as it was conducted under the
old regime. The old system had nothing
in it to commend itself to society, but
1t had everything in it to condemn. |
am not one, however, to condemn every
man who takes glass of liquor, as
sinner. He NAV be just as decent, law
abiding and even God fearing as man
who has never tasted It. There are
some, Of course. who do not understand
this position, but we are not talking to
those who do not understand. but those
who do and who take wider views of
life than manv temperance reformers
have the ability to do.
The present bill was aimed primarily
at the destruction of the omen saloon.
This bill was carried by a safe majority:
still. not so large that we can afford,
after a single years experience, anv
radical experiment. Thousands of those
who voted for this bill did 30. not be-
cause Of any great moral conjunction,
but because they believed that the sa-
loon represented an economic waste
and that it was an unmitigated nuisance.
Certainly the morals of Washington
are not higher, for instance. than the
morals Of Pennsylvania or of Maryland.
which are still wet. 1t was a matter
largely of social education and econom-
les.
Neither has the present bill percepti-
bly, increased the morals of the state of
Washington. doubt if it has increased
church going in the least. Our divorce
courts are just as busy as they were
before. Last year, speaking from the
standpoint of statistics, was the banner
year for divorces in the county of Spo-
kane.
Still this law is good and it is what
we want. believe that it is not desir-
able to change the present law, not only
because it has not had fair trial, but
we have too much extreme legislation
as it is. The reformer is an asset, up
to certain point. After that he may
become dangerous crank. We must
remember that this is a new state and
sentiment is still in a state of fux. We
should crystalline the sentiment we
have instead of legislating in advance
of it. 1t certainly will increase law
lessness and bootlegging and no ex-
treme penalties will prevent this.
We have heavy penalty attached to
bootlegging now but it does not stop it
and we may be sure that unless we can
enact law which will radically change
human nature it will increase in days
to come.
There is such a thing as leaving
well enough alone National prohibition
is certainly coming when there will be
proper settlement of this great prob
lem and meanwhile the present law is
good as it is.
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