Show i I I I j j SHOULD UTAH ADOPT PROHIBITION It has sometimes l been een stated particularly particular since the people of Utah recently began to consider more seriously se- se 0 th the question of the regulation of the liquor traffic that this state state aJ already ead has bas local oc l option to a degree de do- 0 gree g Tho The legal l status of saloon regulation In Utah was vms discussed in an nn Interview int given by Attorney Fra Frank B D. St Stephens yesterday Mr tIr Stephens also recognizes that there Is a l social side to the saloon l but ut says it t Is the duty of the municipality municipality mu mu- tb tO provide prO means of recreation that has less harmful tendencies His Ills statement foll follows ws I think there c can cin m be no serious contention on the p part rt of any minded fair person against the enactment at the next of our legislature of a comprehensive local option law The people of Utah should feel like apologizing because this has not been done before We arc are among the last states In the Union to enact such legislation there being only five or si thc left without local option laws Our supreme court decided a great many ye years S 'S ago in the case of Logan City versus Edwards that under our statute while there is the widest discretion in location number and anti regulation of retail liquor est establishments establishments es es- t a city council has not the right to refuse a license for for forthe the sate sale sale of intoxicating liquors simply because it Is that kind of business lit It is in harmony with the genius of our government that each locality should have the right to determine de de- de termine for itself whether or qi not it will permit the licensing of a business which i is Injurious us per se and most of the state courts which have spoken upon the subject and also the United States court have held that such is the character of the retail liquor business bu iness Each county in the state should have the right to determine for by a vote of the people whether saloons will b be licensed or not and if the not determine to refuse license each municipality Inthe Inthe in inthe the county should have that privilege l In Ui some states states right of 10 local aJ option has been extended even to towards towards towards wards or districts within the city itself By passing a local option aw law Utah would simply get In line linc with her sister states all over the Union d 8 The liThe present saloon anti movement recently ly organized does doe not contemplate an attempt to pass a prohibitory prohibitory pro pro- law but to permit each locality to determine for itself whether it will license saloons The growth of the work in opposition to the public drinking place has developed the fact that Itis not best to pass a prohibitory law Jaw because a majority of the voters of the whole hole Gt state are In favor of so doing unless each locality in the state is in harmony with such legislation A state pr prohibitory law might be effective in all lit counties except where large cities were located and there be a dead letter and nd where public sentiment will not enforce such a law the condition is worse than under high license The present m movement Is proceeding upon s sane ne sensible and reasonable lines Unquestionably the ultimate extinction of cf the p public drinking place is a consummation to be bc desired but in many state before this can occur there must be such a grow growth h in public sentiment as will make 0 this possible in in every part of the state before a prohibitory law lav should be passed Meantime let each cach community community com corn 0 decide for itself whether it will or will not have a saloon aloon A saloon Is bad enough anywhere but butin 0 in a rural district where there is often a l scarcity of opportunities for young men to seek innocent forms of 0 amusement the saloon is a much greater temptation than it Is in a large city where there is very little ex 0 cute cure for the young men to go to a saloon because they want diversion Our municipalities both large and small should at once study out and inaugurate under the auspices and to some extent at the expense of the municipality ity Innocent and s so far as possible instructive means mean of amusement Eastern cities are establishing public playgrounds under city ity supervision and the time will till soon come when it ft will be as much a part of the duty of the municipality to furnish h proper mental mental men 0 tal and nd physical recreation for Its citizens as It is to institute a system of waterworks Sack cf all these questions Is the great need that all citizens citizen give more thought though to municipal conditions condi Ions and when this is done the public saloon will go along with a 3 great many other evils O |