Autobiography of Charles Clinton Nourse: Prepared for use of Members of the FamilyNourse, Charles Clinton
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Autobiography of Charles Clinton Nourse: Prepared for use of Members of the Family
Nourse, Charles Clinton
Iowa -- Politics and government; Lawyers -- Iowa -- Biography; Nourse, Charles Clinton, 1829-
The house spent the day yesterday on the prohibition bill. Our
report in detail shows how desperately the democrats are
fighting the inevitable.
The spectacle of the democrats voting at one time yesterday,
for dishonest purposes, for absolute prohibition, and next
ranging themselves on the side of the low license or
practically no temperance law at all, is a vivid illustration
of the insincerity of that party on the temperance question.
Their attitude is insincerity itself, and they are ready to do
anything to defeat honest temperance measures. The only test
vote had yesterday was on the Bolter absolute prohibition bill
(amendment) which was defeated by forty-nine yeas to fifty
nays; all the democrats and all the greenbackers and one
republican, Mr. Schee, voting for the amendment. Fifty
republicans voted in the negative.
During the pendency of the discussion the _Register_ of the
same date contains a report of the speeches of Governor Carpenter
and Mr. Kerr in favor of the bill. The following is the full text
of Mr. Kerr's speech as reported in the _Register_ of February
28, 1884. Mr. Kerr said:
The opponents of the bill were wonderfully afraid it would not
prohibit. There had never been any question as to the
constitutionality of the amendment passed in 1882. It was only
the manner of its enactment by the nineteenth general assembly
that had rendered it invalid. He agreed with Mr. Dabney that
the manufacture of liquors for any purpose was wrong. What was
it the people of the state wanted to prohibit? The saloons;
those hot-beds of infamy that were constantly bringing disgrace
upon the state and misery upon the people. Any representative
who fails to crystallize into form of law the will of the
people fails to do his duty. How are we to know this sentiment,
if not by the votes of the people? There is no better way. Mr.
Bolter was eloquent in his denunciations of the evils of
intoxication and he agreed with that gentleman and hoped when
the time came the man from Harrison would vote in accordance
with that sentiment. There are no interests in the state,
vested or otherwise, that are higher than the interests of the
whole people of the state, and it was better for a few to lose
a few dollars than to entail and fasten upon the state an
industry that directly or indirectly injures every man in it.
It is best for all to have the business wiped out. Mr. Merrill
asked Mr. Kerr if the bill permitted the manufacture of liquors
for export. Mr. Kerr replied that the bill had been prepared by
its friends and it was not intended to have it loaded down by
its enemies. _The intention of the law was not to prohibit
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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