Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-01-01

r g1xal Is ssEs9 adg rs iisw aa y a9ul
favor of local prohibition I.belieye that
It is the only method of applying legisla-.
ton to the liqaor-trafsc which is 1t present
feasible and successful. Iwonld advocsAss
a law which should require the suppressiors
OF tippling-honses in every towniior city
which voted to protect itself against thenl >,
! s his Is pure Christian democracy This :
would offer a premium TO leach community
to becomeltemeerate. zsOf course this sys-as
tenn couii gonlya be- successful where gtileGa
most determined ,sffortswere,n made By thsoi
pulpit,'the press, by societies andspubliep Q
meetings to array the majorityof thevoters
against the rum-traffic. In this glorious =
work of moral suasion. the Christian ii
church should take the lead. 81 To aid hi IT,
! would welcome all such auxiliarics 60
the Sons of Temperance, the iTemplaxs,s
the dsof Hope .and all sorts and 9. .ripes !
of honest teetotalers. Iewould also mag
nifty the total abstinence pledge ;for it is
at once protection, a bond of union, and
protest against the drinking customss D..
p ifow shall local prohibition be get p
! answer, by petitions for it.9kn the state
Legislature will not grant it, then agitate
Tor the election of Legislators swhohw >
enact the law. If neither party will noria- .
mate temperance mentor the Legislature,
then our friends must select candidates Of
their own and vote for them. "A third
party, based on single moral issue, is 4
prodigiously difficult thing to organize into
victory; but if the needed reform cannot
be got in any other way, then the third :.
party must be tried. One thing Ldcpro- ]
test against, and that is the foolesy of or
ganizing parties on paper and BY mere
RESOLUTIONS" without thorough educa-
tion of the public mind, and asthorough
canvass in the most manly and honorable
style. A political campaign which shall
succeed in s.crushing OUT the dram shop
is no boys play. 1t requires great wis-a
dom, great courage, great unity, and not
only grace, but grit. ~ g 80 aeda.H s.'tssug
81 As prohibition of the liquor traffic 10
question Tor state Legislation I BELIEVER
that The best methods for carrying it,
should be left to the friends of total xbsti-sl
nence in each State. cannot yet see the
wisdom and expsdiency of - Nationai ]
Prohibition party. ss In those localities
where third parties are demanded, sndis
can be made isuceessfnl, let them be or
ga izedsas Partiesgrow; theya are not mani
utactured TO order. nj linas ew vssss agss al
We must not deceive ourselves by false
comparisons between the conflict with the
Iliquor-trafie and the conflict with slavery.
The institution of cha.tel slavery existed
only in fiite N states; and in those states
every voter was in favor of it, Outside Of
those states'a majority of the people were
sopposedto it. But even this outside MAJ
jority did not overthrow slavery by the
ballot.'a1t fell by the bullet > and IL the
Iiquor-dealers appealed insanely to ar1ns,d
We should servegthem as we served the
shareholders. There Is no parallel be-.
tween the two eonfiicts.sst q saasn ssfg%vbE
"A. Our warfare against intemperances
is largely political because the permis-
sion or the prohibition of the rum traffic Iiso
u question of legislation. Bat temperance
is still more largely question of dietetics
and of morals Alcoholic stimulants are
popular. Millions believe them to be-
useful We must correct this fatal error
by argument; and prove that alchohol is
" poison. Millions believe that whiskey
and wine strengthen and warm and nour-
ish the human irame.y We.m must explode
this error. Thousands of Christians have
wine-botles in their houses A faithful
lpulpit--using Paul's teachings for ''ball
and eartridgen--must smash those decan-a
ters! The children and yoath are in dan-
ger of falling into the destruct;ve drinking
customs. We must push the reform in the
Sabbath school,. Drunkenness is sin
against God; it opens helll Less us bring
against it the combined power Of preach-
ing, prayer, the press and personal ex.
ample. The Temperance Reform is linked
to Christianity; tits as truly born of Gods
Word as the precious doctrines oflthe
Cross. .pliDub % at1atse - gs4ag - AZ r.
Brethren in the West! This glorious
and beneficent reform Is making more
rapid progress in your region than IN any
part, Of our beloved land In behalf ofsa'e
'"army of the east" stretch or. sny hand
to you over the prairies, -sdd let Us NIKE
fresh vow TO ade--odr utmost, with the
Ihelp Of Goa 70 expel the hideous curse Of
stre-,ss~ drink from the soil which bears the
ashes Of our fathers, and the hopes 81 our
children H. Ad,.0,,ce ksssga k1s4skzs IA 1ts
y Two blades become sharp BY Aei=s ~
bed together; so two opinions, clashing
against each other, grow more decided, instead