| Show WHY IT SHOULD XOT BE DONE If it is < true as asserted in the convention con-vention on Thursday that the majority major-ity of the delegates favor the submission submis-sion of the prohibition question to < the popular vote with the constitution but as a separate provision they are contemplating a great mistake The Herald recognizes the fact that there are many very estimable persons per-sons who favor the entire suppression of the manufacture and sale of intoxicating in-toxicating drinks They fall into the i error of making the traffic a crime when the criminality of the drink evil is in the excessive use of intoxicants by which the rights of society are infringed in-fringed But yielding to them all that they claim for arguments sake there are millions of other people who never indulge in-dulge in the evil of intoxication but who either regularly or occasionally use wine beer and even strong drink I without ever passing beyond the line of sobriety and who are just as reputable repu-table and intelligent members of society so-ciety as those who are total abstainers abstain-ers In one respect they are superior to some of these they do not attempt to force other people to adopt their views or live by their rules Let it not be understood that instating in-stating this fact we are advocating the use of intoxicants or of any kind I of stimulant We are simply putting forward the rights of such persons as choose to use them without abusing them as deserving of consideration in a popular government Because we do not choose to take them as a beverage we do not want rto deprive de-prive other people of their freedom in this matter And their liberties are infringed when you render it impossible impossi-ble for them to obtain what they regard re-gard as necessary to their happiness or comfort That is our position We do not expect to see any direct prohibition clause inserted in the constitution con-stitution That is not demanded or requested by the promoters of the prohibition pro-hibition movement Wthat Is wanted is the submission of the question to the vote of all the people who are to form the new state And it < Is that which we believe ought not to l be done It may seem ito many a very reasonable reason-able and fair proposition But the unfairness un-fairness of It lies in the fact that the people of some parts of the state are under conditions altogether different from those under which others are placed Tine large cities need regulations regula-tions peculiar to themselves If any county or city in the state desires to establish prohibLtIon it should have the privilege But ithose parts of the state that would vote for it should not be aJble to outvote the people in other parts of the state who do not want prohibition Salt lake City should retain the right it now has Ito regulate its own municipal affairs So with every other incorporated city The principle of local selfgovernment should not be overthrown by the votes of people in other localities I Practical prohibition in Salt Lake City would be an utter impossibility There was a time when it was tried and when it was much more likely than now to J succeed Liquor could not be sold openly but it was sold with semisecrecy It was kept in the back roams and cellars of ordinary stores The vendors reaped the profits the city gained no revenue and the cause of temp < rance was not promoted promot-ed Ask any of the old police and city authorities and you will find this to be correct The same experience has been gained in what have been called prohIbItion pro-hibition states In those parts where the people favor it there is something approaching to its practical application applica-tion In other places notably in < the larger cities it is a howling farce All the liquor wanted can be had by those who know how to get it and the way is neither straight narrow nor found by ithe few It is easy to find and many there be who go in ther tOur t-Our contention is that if the people peo-ple of Richmond in the north St George in the south Tooele in the west or Vernal in the east want to establish prohibition in itheir own locality lo-cality they should have the power by local regulation on the vote of the people to do so But they should not be permitted to unite their votes with those of other towns and cities and rural districts to compel Salt Lake Oity or Ogden or other populous places to conform to their rules All that ought to be done on this mixed matter in the constitution is to authorize the legislature to give the cities and counties power by local regulation reg-ulation to prohibit and suppress or license und restrict the manufacture and sale of ardent spirits and other intoxicants in-toxicants Then the legislature can proceed according to the wishes oi the people in each locality or by general provisions in city charters and county provisions put it in the power of each public corporate body to regulate or prohibit as the people there decide If the plan of the prohibitionist shall succeed the rural districts will be given power to dominate the cities in this particular and the result will be continual violation of law with no actual ac-tual benefit but with a loss of revenue reve-nue as well as of the right of local selfgovernment Let those parts of the state that want prohibition have it But let them leave other places that do not want it to regulate their own affairs Therefore dont submit I a prohibition plank for the vote of the whole people as a tall to the constitution consti-tution kite |
