The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-03-24
CasuaI Sugxe<fiou.

In all the turmoil about the prohibftory liquor
law, vitality interested party has never spoken
or been spoken to. We allude 10 the drunksrd both
in the ineipient and chronic stages
The law says little about him, and. the Chdmpi-
has had occasion to remark before. does not adj
minister to him the necessary tonic in the way OF
punishment. if he ofendr, and of course holds out no
incentive reward to him If he keeps sober; for
laws inspire and cheer nobody. Men may have
been deferred from doing wrong, but no human be-
ing yet encouraged to do right by statute.
Iu spite of this oversight, the drinker-the drunk
ard, il You please-holds the balance Of power he is
the arbiter of this whole business. IL the watch
word 'braee up" could be passed along the whole
line, this most veXed question would be settled.
Let every gentleman set down the three fingers
which at present engage his attention. and the wind
would he taken out of every temperance lecturer !;
the prohibitory law made an empty collection of
phrases. What would il amount to, If all the saloons
kept open il the last of the bummers could
wipe his mouth with the hack of his hand and say ::
mo, thanks, don't drink What would become
of the diotic discussion about whether the wine Of
the Bible" fcrmented unferment. II each Of u-
could say well, if | had been at the wedding al
Cana of Galilee should not have taken any Of the
winO even if it made by n miracle" This sort
of argument cuts the ground from under the whole
angry crowd of cOntr0versalists-
The Champion is free to say that II wishes the
question could he settled in this way IL would be
final and effectual settlement No saloon keeper
could object to il temperance man or woman
ought to. II would be n blessed thing all around.
Ii would save the country from quarrels. prosecu-
tOns heartburning disputes, srifes. IL would save
il from cant, humbug. sander, professional reforms
hired apostles and another fool Legislature in Kan
II would give the pulpit back to its regular and
proper uses: it would shut of Niagara of slnshy
communications to the newspapers for the harrnssed
and tormented editor could tell the contributors to
initiate the late guzzlers, and 'dry up Dry up"
blessed worl and general. too in its application.
DRY up:- let repeat it; we lnger lovingly
over the phrase. "Dry mp" drunkarls, and yon
will dry up lot Of other nuisances You will dry
up" fountain of discussion; you dry up "a crowd
Of pestiferous agitatOrs; You dry up lot of small
politicians who strange anomaly, run wind mills by
water.
YOu dry up for yourself flowing, deepening
stream of misery; literal fountain of tears. You
dry up n drain your pockets; ON your mind: ON
your conscience; on your heart. lOudry up black
that waits to receive you. And You alone,
our drunken friend, do all this. Lobbyists
don't believe il, but sensible men do. People with
patent refOrmatory machines think you can be dried
up by statute, but you know better. You know that
you must dry yourself up. You know that il You
want whiskey YOU will get it. Suppose you stop
wanting any. Try it, old man, and help yourself
and the country, and the old girl and the babies.
The thing is worth trying. The Legislature has
overlooked this plan; for the Legislature did not
know much, anyhow. Let this issue be settled by
the only who can settle it.-AtehisoH Champion.