The young man was quick to understand the tremendous power granted to
the Governor by that bill. Under it no party management, no group of
politicians, could club or coax the liquor interests into line at the
polls by manipulation of the traffic. No sheriff could enrich himself by
selling privileges. No city could govern itself in that
respect--declaring that public opinion favored the saloons and making
local law superior to the constitutional law of the State. The bill
provided that a judge must impose both fines and imprisonment when
convictions were secured, and, therefore, no judge could carry on any
longer a practical system of low license by imposing fines alone.
It was the principle of _enforced_ prohibition put on trial.
In the past the Luke Pressons of the State had laughed at interference
by a Governor. Local politics, easily handled, had controlled the
actions of cities, and police had kept their hands off the traffic for
years.
Authority in liquor matters had been vested in the county high sheriffs,
and these men were controlled from State headquarters wholly in the
interests of politics.
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