FAILURE OF PROHIBITION IN AMERICA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1601, 14 November 1905, Page 2

FAILURE OF PROHIBITION IN AMERICA.

The following faots and figures show the result of the esperimsnt of prohibition in the various States of Amerioa daring the last oenfcury : , New Hampshire adopted in 1855, and it remained for 34 years. On April 12,1899, tue Senate Constitution rejected it by a laige majority. Two bounties only defor prohibition. On March 18, 1891, a License Bill passed the Lower Hon© by 214 to 107, and then passed the SenaS by 3 votes to 1. The vote of the cities i\ the Legislature was 121 to Bin favor o.license. Masßfc>husetts tried prohibition from anther effort was made to introduivijt. I'was rejeoted, ooly one town deoiling fo ‘it. This campaign was historical!!*, Hudreds of speakers advooated prohibitive ll ) hd the State was deluged with liter&;| its favor. But against this, and for\ l>ense, were found the religious newsp'fejta, the great dailies, and the ohurohes. AfJrong protests oame from the greatest‘lawSrs and doctors in the State. Amongst the ministers remonstrate ing were the Rev. Dr. Phillip«B rooks, Rev, Dr Savage, Rev. Dr Btooks-Hereford, Rev. Dr Gyros Bartel, Rev. Dr Peabody, and the Rev. Father Oonaty (president of the Oatholio National Total- Abstinence Society). The proposal was rejected by a majority of 44,552. Rhode Island., adopted prohibition in 1853. It was thrown out in 1863, and again adopted in 1886. In 1899 it was again thrown out by a majority of 18,597, out of a total vote of 38,000. In 1886 prohibition bad a majority of 5883, so that three years’ experience changed the views of four-fifths of the voters. Connecticut adopted prohibition in 1854 aud gave it up in 1872. In October, 1889, another effort was made, but prohibition was rejected by 3 to 1. New York tried it in 1834, In two years the'experiment was given up. In Pennsylvania prohibition was proposed in June, 1889. It was rejeoted by a majority of 194,556, the greatest majority till then ever oast by any State on any aufcjro’. Maryland adopted this measure iu 1855. It was rejeoted soon afterwards and never attempted again. Delaware tried it in the same year, and in 1857 threw it up. Ohio had the same experience. Prohibition was tried in 1855, and abandoned aa useless the following year, Vermont adopted prohibitory laws in 1852 and retained them for 50 years. This State was notorious for the extremely severe and drastio measures it took to enforce the law. After 60 years’ trial prohibition was condemned everywhere—in the caucuses, in the Legislature, when a direct vote was taken, and when the towns voted. On the last occasion every town in the State of aDy size voted for license. Michigan adopted the law in 1853. It was abandoned in 1875. A seoond attempt to introduce it in 1887 was overwhelmed at the polls. Indiana passed prohibitory laws in 1855. They wero abandoned shortly afterwards., A seoond try to introduce it in 1882 was defeated by the biggest majority oast in that State on any question for 20 years. Nebraska adopted prohibition in the same year, but it was repealed shortly afterwards, and a seoond attempt to introduce it in 1880 was defeated by a majority of 45,000. Illinois adopted a prohibito y law in 1855. It was abandoned in the following year. Two attempts wero made in Wisconsin to introduce prohibition, but neither suooeeded

lowa enacted pruhibi.iou in 1884. Il was m idifkd and then praot’cally abandoned a few years ago. Kins as adept d tho law in 1882, and it still remains.

Texai refused prihihition in 1887 by a majority of 92,661, and Tennessee in the same year by a majority of 27,698, and in Oregan the proposal was defeat id by a majority of 2 to 1. A proposal to introduce prohibition in 1888 in West Virginia was rejected by a majority of 85,574, only two counties being for it. North Dakota accepted prohibition in 1889 by a majority of 1159, and the law still remains.

South Dakota adopted it in the same year. In 1896 it was overwhelmmgly rejected.

A system of local option also prevails in America. For inetanoe, although the law cf prohibition remains in Maine and Kansas, still in Portland (Maine's capital city) and in the city of Kansas there are scores of licensed saloons. Needless to say, this sort of arrangement does not give much satisfaction.

Prohibition prevailed in maDy States of Canada up to 1889. In that year a vote was taken and it was repta'ed. Every town and city in Canada that voted on that day rejected prohibition. Since then iooal option has been in force, and so-called prohibition has pre. vailed in certain districts. The records now show that more liquor is consumed under prohibition than’ under license.— 8. and D. Review.