It Is Disgraceful by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 25, 1910

It Is Disgraceful.

By Editor

The Oregonian points out a disgraceful thing which is creeping into the social life of Portland, which "if not stamped out, may grow into a custom," and that is "the imported idea" that the best way to usher in the new year is "to get drunk in public;" a vice which the Oregonian intimates was probably caught from San Francisco, "the one American city that boasts of imitating the fashionable vices of the gay French capital." The Oregonian may console itself that the disgrace is not local. The pestilential thing is spreading all over the nation. We agree with our contemporary that "it is almost inconceivable that normal men and women whose conduct 364 days in the year bars reproach, should at this time compromise themselves by getting into a position where their intemperate acts may be seen and criticized by entire strangers; where for a few brief hours in the public mix-up it is not easy to distinguish decent people from women of the underworld and their men associates." It is pure lustful paganism.

Not a Sad Thing.

Congressman Douglass, in a speech before the House of Representatives January 4, which contains many important facts regarding increased cost of living, tells how "strange and sad" it seemed to him to learn that workers in Germany had meat upon the table only as a Sunday luxury. If Congressman Douglass only knew, there are a growing number of intelligent, active, diligent workers in the United States that do not have meat upon their table at any time during the week or month from choice. They are just as well, just as strong, just as able to work, and do just as good work and clear thinking, as those who live upon meat. What Mr. Douglass said in his speech, however, is important; and that is, that the cost of living for the working man is continually increasing. Secretary Wilson is emphasizing the same great fact, and Congress has appointed a committee to investigate the matter.

We are glad to note that for the first time in the history of temperance reform there is a real marked decrease in the consumption of alcoholic liquors. In other words, according to the statistics of the internal revenue office, the production of distilled liquors in 1908 was less than that of 1907 by 41,000,000 gallons; and it is stated that in the manufacture of beer, there was a falling off of 5,500,000 barrels. This is good; but will it last? Or does this really measure true temperance reform? Has there been a larger increase in drinking what is called "near beer," the French drink absinth, and other various forms of drug-drunkenness? These are matters which ought to be considered in connection with the temperance question. For all the advancement there is, we thank God.

Oil and Milk.

The New York World declares that the Standard Oil Company is very deeply interested in the great milk trust. While there is no clear evidence that the two companies are joined together legally, yet the great stockholders of one are shareholders in the other. A story in one of the recent magazines goes on to tell of how one man controlled the bread supply of the United States, gathered all the money, by the pennies and dimes and quarters, until the whole country was in his grasp. The milk trust would be a step toward that. If one great company controlled the light and the milk, before long they would grasp some other necessity; and how long would it be before the whole nation would be in the power of such a company?