PRACTICAL TEMPERANCE REFORM.
By John Harvey Waggoner
MARTIN LUTHER was a reformer. General consent gives him this title. But to determine his right to this title we must judge him by the light and the circumstances of his time. Should we judge him by the light and privileges of our time, we should be compelled to deny his right to the title. That is to say, that a man would not stand out notably as a Protestant and a reformer who should at this time preach just what Luther preached in his time. Reformations are necessarily progressive. To keep the spirit of reformation alive, advanced steps must be taken. This is the case in all reforms. The time was when the reclamation of drunkards was considered ultra in temperance work. To sign the pledge was looked upon as foolishly resigning our natural rights. But the light has spread, and the work so advanced, that we hear scarcely any of that kind of talk now. The work has truly advanced. Therefore, if temperance workers do not take advanced steps, they are not truly temperance reformers.563 We have constantly wondered at those professed temperance reformers who were terrified with the idea of "prohibition." Their sole business is to reclaim drunkards. And we must congratulate them on one point: If no effort is made to cut off the supply of intoxicants, they will always have plenty of their favorite business on hand! If the supply is not only equal to the demand, but if there is a surplus seeking and creating a demand, enticing the young at almost every street corner, drunkenness cannot be expected to greatly decrease. All temperance movements short of prohibition are proving to be spasmodic and temporary in their effects. It was so with the woman's praying movement in Ohio, and so it has been in every recent movement that has come under our notice. But we are constantly told that prohibition is ineffectual. You can learn from every liquor dealer in the land that the "Maine law" has proved a sorry failure. And they are ready to advise temperance workers as to the best methods, and the most effectual means, to check the evils of intemperance, and to beware of the folly of prohibition! But, viewing the matter candidly, in the light of experience, of reliable facts, is prohibition available? We do not ask if it has entirely suppressed the traffic in any State. The law against theft has not entirely suppressed stealing in any one country in the whole United States. But its enforcement has always resulted in good. And so with prohibitory laws. In almost every State in the Union, political parties are all afraid to come in direct conflict with the liquor interest. But in Maine, no political party dares to come in conflict with the principle of prohibition. And this is the result wherever it has really been tried. Ottawa, Kansas, has tried prohibition, and the following is the result as given by a correspondent of the Palladium, from that place:— "There is no doubt in the minds of the large majority of the citizens of Ottawa as to the actual gains to our community of the anti-license policy. A number of our best citizens, who, at one time believed that licensing saloons was the best way to govern the liquor traffic, and that it was right to get revenue from license, are now clearly of the opinion that prohibition of the traffic is not only right, but that it is the best policy. It seems especially needed in this temperance campaign that some things be repeated over and over again. Let us recount again some of the gains of the anti-license policy as manifest in Ottawa. "1. There has been a great decrease in the consumption of liquors. A bountiful supply easy of access, sold under the sanction of law, with all the social attractions of the saloon, creates a demand far greater than when all these inducements are withdrawn. Many men who take an occasional drink will not get liquors when sold on the sly. One of our citizens said: 'I like a glass once in a while, but when I have to break the law to get it, and after paying for the stuff, be under obligations to the man who sold it to lie for him and perjure myself, I decided that I would not do it. I have not taken a drink for many months, and find I am better off without it.' In many cases the demand is greatly increased by the abundant supply. "Persons who have the means of knowledge, say that they do not think one-fourth as much liquor is sold now as under license. We formerly had four saloons, each paying $500 a year for license. Recently an ex-saloon keeper said he would gladly pay $5,000 a year for the sole license. This shows the profits of the business, and also how license increases the sale, and how much whisky-sellers will give to have the whole community partners with them. "2. Drinking liquor becomes more and more discreditable. It is not to any man's honor to be known as a regular, or even an occasional drinker. It is not considered 'just the thing' to furnish wine or beer or stronger drinks at social gatherings. There is a general conviction that our boys and girls ought not to be taught to tamper with such dangerous things as intoxicating liquors. Closing the saloons has greatly helped public sentiment as to the danger and evils of drinking. "3. Selling liquor is considered very disreputable. It is now a criminal offense, and becomes more of a sneaking business every day. One argument used by those who oppose the Amendment, that the liquor business will pass out of the hands of men of good character, and be in the hands of a low class. On this point we agree with them, and count the change desirable. The illusion of respectability will vanish when the business is outlawed. This leads to further gain. The education by licensed liquor selling ends. The traffic under prohibition will be on its proper footing, not something to be nourished and regulated, but suppressed. A generation trained in the school of prohibition will have very different ideas of the use and sale of intoxicating liquors. "4. Prohibition in Ottawa has shown the folly of the claim, that licensed saloons help business. Before we had our present policy it was said, 'If you close the saloons it will drive trade away, and the grass will grow in your streets.' "But the facts are, that the city has never been so prosperous in every way as during our temperance administration. Taxes have not increased, our city finances never were in such good shape, nor were the prospects of our town ever so good. "Three-fourths of our taxable property, through its owners, is opposed to license. Some of our citizens, who are not practical temperance men, believe prohibition is the best policy for the business interests, and will support the amendment for that reason." Governor St. John, of Kansas, is the first man occupying such a position, to recommend to the people of his State the prohibition of both the manufacture and sale of ardent spirits. At the recent election, a proposition was submitted to the voters of Kansas to amend the Constitution of the State so as to carry this into effect. In a letter to the Lever, of Detroit, Mich., Gov. St. John gives the following as the result:— "The Constitutional Amendment has carried in this State by a majority ranging from five to fifteen thousand. Two other propositions were submitted to the vote of the people at the same time, which were very unpopular, and were defeated by overwhelming majorities. This fact had a tendency to lessen the vote for prohibition, and in addition to which must be taken into consideration the fact that this being a Presidential campaign, the political interest was so great as to have a tendency to absorb to some extent the enthusiasm that otherwise would have prevailed throughout the State for the Amendment. But it is a grand victory. It is a verdict of the people for the right, and one that I hope will have the effect to encourage the older States to follow the example of young Kansas." Because we believe it is the province of government to prohibit and not to countenance and uphold wrong; that the weak and suffering should be protected; and because we love righteousness rather than iniquity, we rejoice in this result. J. H. W.