Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1919-03-20
THE LIQUOR AMENDMENT


ord is printed the proposed amend
ment To the state constitution, where
bv it would become forever lawful in
this state TO import, manufacture
use. buy. sell. keep Cor sale. give
away. barter or furnish every kind of
cider, wines, beer, ale and porter
A close study of this amendment
viii reveal that it is a most danger
Gus piece Of liquor legislation, the
most dangerous ever proposed i'm
Michigan and probably i'm the coun
try ID was gotten up by the liquor
interests for the liquor interests.
There are several things about the
proposed amendment, which are
worthy oil comment. and which are
highly important 20 The voters II they
would vote intelligently on this meas
ure
Ut Will be noticed that the words
give away" are used among the
various terms, permitting the sale.
etc. OF liquors The legislature could
pass "a law regulating the hours dur
ing which these liquors might ice sold
but il would be powerless to cause
trouble if the keeper of a liquor re-
sor; should set a barrel out in front
of his place of business after closing
hours and give away" liquor. The
amendment gives him this power.
The amendment also gives the power
20 regulate the sale thereof, but it
does not offer the power to prevent
the giving away" of these liquors
and laws could not thus be passed
which would prevent the giving
away Of liquor TO minors 1t is add
mitted that the sale to minors could
be regulated
One other word is worthy of study.
f. Is the word reasonable. 1t Will
,ae noticed that the legislature is en-
powered to pass reasonable laws TO
regulate the sale. etc. but what does
reasonable mean IN this case.
What might be reasonable to the
legislature might not bc reasonable
to the courts.
II PASSED 10y the voters OF Michi-
gan. it will not only repeal TO this
extent. the state wide prohibition act
of wear ago, but will destroy the
county system of local option
which has been giving good satisfac-
ton for years, and substitute i'm its
place ihe unit or township system.
whereby one township may be- wet
and another dry, form discarded
years ago in Michigan because it was
highly unsatisfactory.
The amendment offers nothing 20
the people Of Michigan. except to
again saddle liquors on the state, and
TO put the saddle on more strongly
than ever Il has .redeeming feat
ures that Will attract the sober, in
dustrious. thinking people Of Michi-
gan, who know that no booze Of any
kind will help a person.
The governments of the globe dur
ing the great war found and saw that
the soldiers would make better fight
crs without liquor, and il was kept
from them What was good for such
men, who have great tasks 10 per
form, should be good enough for the
balance Of the people even in time OF
peace
Statistics show that liquors are the
means Of filling the jails. the insane
asylums and the poor houses Of the
country. A vote against the amend
ment is a vote towards emptying the
jaiis asylums and poor houses of
Michigan; it is a vote for better in.
dustry. for better living and for bet
ter citizenship.
The people Of Michigan owe it tc
themselves to place a cross in the
square below the word NO" on the
amendment. They should be honest
with themselves and their postcrity