PROHIBITION FALLACIES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10481, 20 October 1899, Page 3

PROHIBITION FALLACIES.

m • (Published by arrangement.) THE GOVERNOR OF lOWA ON PROHIBITION. The State of lowa has been experimenting on prohibition for the last forty years. In 1893 the Hon. Horace Boies, Governor of the State, was examined before the Royal Commission, and gave evidence as follows: — "I am Governor of the State. I suppose everybody understands my own view of this law. It has been a matter of public discussion in every campaign in which I have been interested since I came into public life, and my spsedhes are of course familiar to all the" people of the State. I ought to say that there is a division of sentiment in this State, a very wide division, as to the correctness of the conclusions I have reached. There are, ! a great many people in this State who honestly believe that the prohibitory law is a good that it lessens crime, that it is good from a moral point of view. For my own part lam just as satisfied that they are wrong, and that THE LAW IS A BAD ONE from every standpoint. We have to-day in some of oar cities ordinances passed for the.sole purpose of -sensing saloons, in direct violation of the statute of the State. __ese ordinances are usually against disorderly houses, with the understanding that each saloon or place where intoxicating liquors are sold shall be classed as a disorderly house, and each month the keeper of the saloon is notified to appear "before the Board, and a certain fine, which is tbe same in aU cases, is imposed. He

pays-the fine, and also the cost of the transaction, and considers that his licensefee. '.. That is the practice that prevails, and with the exception of Dcs Moines, I think THE SALOONS RUN OPENLY, as openly as they ever did in a3l the larger cities' of the State. But once in a while some friend of the law goes into one of those saloons and takes steps to enjoin the place, which anybody is entitled to do under the law; and for a. few days, or weeks,.or possibly months, tihe saloon may be suppressed. l In this city wo have no open saloons, and yet I know that it is publicly charged that there are a great many jtfaces where liquor is sold. I do not know that of my own knowledge, for I never enter one of h-ose places. I see as well cs anybody tlw evils that result from excessive drinking of uiitoxic-ting liquors, but I do not. believe that this is the way to Temedy them. ', I think the system in this Sta-ter has thrown the business into tlie hands of the worst classes, and there oeing no inspection of the class of liquor, sold, the cheapest and' MOST INJURIOUS DECOCTIONS are dispensed. In other words, I think we have the uncontrolled saloon where other- - wise, -qre would have the saloon controlled by the people. Asked by Judge McDonald: "Have you any reason to believe that the enforcement of'the'law- in this city, so far as it has been enforced, has had beneficial effects?" The Governor replied: "I do not think it has. I think it has ihad the reverse." 1988