The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-01-20
NorE.--We have received a reply
to ''D'' from Viola Cole, which came
too late for publication.
THE REPLY.
70 the Editors of the n. P. Farmer.

In reading the article signed D., in
last weeks FARMER, and headed Tenn
perate Temperance, it seems to me
that reply would not be out of place;
in fact it would seem to be expected,
at least by the author. Now do not
wish to be understood as championing
Viola Cole, who / am convinced is
abundantly capable of taking care of
herself, and of making good her po-
sition as set forth in a previous issue
of your valuable paper. Nor do /
wish to defend our more enthusiastic
temperance friends against the accu-
sutioms brought against them by 3D., >
for the reason that he did not accuse
them of anything. He did call them
names little to be sure, but then
that won't hurt them much, especially
when we remember that they stand
in 50 good company in this respect.
All good earnest men in every age OF
the world have been called fanatics
Galillio, Columbus, Lutten, Golden
and 4 host of others, whose only fault
was. that they were a little ahead of
the rest of the world, even all dubbed
fanatics, by the pull backs. but then,
they all lived to see their particular
ideas endorsed by the world, and do
not think that advanced temperance
men and women will take it to heart
very much to be called fanatics. I
will, however, join issue with ''D'
on two statements made in article re-
ferred to. He says, lst. That Maine
laws nave made the people down east
drunken. He also says, End. I can
show that abstinence makes christians
as drunken and short lived as it makes
Heathens and Indians; and that when
wine and beer are daily food, the
people continue sober and healthy.
Regarding the first position taken
by 3D. viz, that s:Maine laws have
made them (the people) drunken,'
let us analize little. If this were
true, then. before the Maine law was
enacted there was no drunkenness
down east, and it would also follow
that where there is no s'Maine law
now, there is no drunkenness. This
is the logic of it: for 3D. does not
say, Maine laws helped to make them
drunken, or made them more drunken,
but that ''Maine laws have madethem
drunken and that before these laws
were made ''they were temperate"
But I'D" saying so, does not make it so,
AMI although never resided in the
east, yet I will to venture an asser-
tiOn that there aUas drunkenness down
east before the Maine law was enact
ed, and that this drunkenness was
one of the causes that led to the pas.
sage of the Maine law. But does any,
one believe this assertion. that there
was no drunkenness prior to the
Maine law? Does ''D' believe it him.
self, or is he only growing little fa-
natical? How about the other states.
where there is no Maine law? Ac-
cording to ':D's'' logic there should
be no drunkenness, but there is it,
tie. Will "D'' explain how it is?
Regarding the second position, that
':abstinence makes christians as short
lived as it makes Heathens and Indi-
ans,'' I must bow to the profound
wisdom of the assertion. In fact,
wonld even go further and say, as
sober and longliyed too. Again "D''
says: Where wine and beer are a
daily food, the people continue sober
and healthy" What does he mean
by daily food! If he means when peo-