Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1881-09-12

variety of other questions, did not forge.
that of temperance as applied to the use
of strong drinks This subject was pre-
sented and discussed by Hon. Frank w.
Bird, of Walpole, Mass, in an article en-
titled The province of legislation in
limiting the sale of intoxicating drinks
and the evils of intemperance." Mr..
Bird very strongly believes that intern
perance is an evil and the national appe-
tite for strong drink nationa curse,
but ne does not believe that legislation
will cure the evil unless public senti-
ment stands behind it sufficiently strong
TO give force to the legislation He
says: "The stream cannot rise higher
than its fountain; and while, as is the
fact N regard to all prohibitory iegisla-
ton, majority of votes, from various
considerations, are brought to enact pro-
hibitory statutes, the constituencies are
not in favor of the law" Such he shows
has been the result in Massa chuse It's where
that kind of legislation has had long
and thorough trial. Mr.. Bird believes
that legislation if had at all should be
rather against the use than the sale of in
toxicants- He argues that IA long as
strong drinks are in general use, or rather
as long as the great body of the people
desire to use them, there will be people
to sell them, law or no law. And he
cites the fact that $500, 900, 600 worth is
annually consumed in this country as
proof conclusive that the greater portion
of the people do use them.
The remedy proposed is the creation
of public sentiment against the use of
Intoxicating liquors, he says: Educate
the community out of the error that al
cohol is ever useful as food, as stimu-
lent or as medicine" Let the social
habits of the people be changed and the
desire for intoxicanfs removed, and no
legislation will be required to prohibit
the sale. One of the evils of resorting
to law for the prevention of sintemper-
snce is that the law then becomes the
reliance of those who desire to remove
the wrong, and the work of correcting
public sentiment, in the only way it can
be corrected, by moral sussion, is aban-
doned. Without such work the law
soon becomes unpopular and is not en-
forced. The most successful temper
ance work ever attempted in this country,
MIR. Bird thinks, was that of the Wash
ingtonian movement, forty years ago,
which depended solely upon moral
suasion for its effectiveness He says:
@That work showed greater results in re-
forming individuals and in diminishing
the evils of incompetence than all other
agencies before or since. Combining
the efforts of all the earnest friends of
temperance, it was rapidly forming the
public opinion which is essential to all
works of reform, until, in an evil hour,
legislation was invoked-aimed primarily
eating drinks. The result was that the
sentiment of the friends of temperance
was divided; education, especially of the
young, was neglected. This great cause
allied itself with politics. Notorious
drunkards became eligible candidates
for the Legislature. if only they would
vote for prohibition. Philanthropy was
degraded by the alliance; and humanity,
if not irreparsbly, very seriously injured
in the house of its friends"
There is much force in the foregoing
views. If the evil of incompetence, the
greatest, perhaps, that now curses our
country, is ever eradicated it must be
cessity, and in arousing them to action
in their social capacity, without any de-
pendence upon the terrors of the law. If
men will not drink men cannot sell, but
the demand viii always be supplied. The
first step, we think, toward reforma-
ton in this mstter is to wipe out all our
present eglslation-repeal every license
law and take from the sale of intoxicants all
government support and sanction. If the
sale of liquors were free there would per
hsps be no more consumed than at pres
emf, but in any event the traffic would not
be legahzed and would be compelled to
stand on its own merits or dement's
while the government would De free from
in the evil. It would then
become purely a moral and social ques
ton, and all good citizens could oppose
the traffic without being met at every
point by the law which legalizes it. We
believe, with Mr.. Bird, that the fight
should be made against the use and not
the sale of intoxicsnts, and that until
men are convinced they ought net to
drink they will continue to drink and
will find means of procuring it When
public sentiment condemns the use, and
men who believe slcoholic drinks q curse
Strain from drinking, the question will |
re permanently and correctly settled, and |
legislation either TO support or suppress
be no longer needed.