Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-28
TEMPERANCE AND rRoH1BIrIoS.

TEMPERANCE AND PROHIBITION
In England the church as by law estab
lished has become aroused to the Importance
of doing something effectual 10 restrain the
vices common among the people, and 10 lead
them TO pure living, and to inculcate a more
practical sense of the responsibilities of life.
Among other things an effort is making 10
induce them TO cast aside their habits of im
moderate drinking, by which not only is
moral degradation produced, but the wages
| that should go to the maintenance OF wife
and children are so seriously reduced that
| thousands of families that would live in
comfort on the earnings of the head of the
house have often a scanty supply of food
and are commonly clothed in rags. The
church effort, however, does not lake the di-
rection of entire prohibition. That remedy,
although the most effectual OF all, is found
10 arouse strong feelings of opposition. II
d.es not win it's way with the masses, who
refuse to be driven By force even when they
acknowledge that entire abstinence from
drink would be for their benefit. They are
not alone in their opposition to efforts
TO force them even in what is
for their own welfare. There is kind of
sturdy independence in most men that
makes them rebel against compulsion in
matters they regard as rightfully exclusive
within their own individual sphere. In such
things men may be led, but they will not
submit to be driven. Recogn' zing this, the
efforts making in the English church are di-
to he Of hat Ia foo
deeply seated aud too widely spread for i'm
mediate wholesale eradication. In Boston,
where long-persistent effort has been made
TO drive people from drink by The applica-
ton OF legal force, intelligent minds have
c1me TO the conclusion that other methods
must be used, so that the evil that cannot be
extirpated by the radical and forcIble means
of prohibition, may be assusged and dimin-
ished by the use of gentler and less direct
measures. They have turned their attention
in large degree toward the licensing sys-
tenn, and the laws of Massachusetts afford |
many facilities in that way. The echool- |
house law, for instance, fcrbids the licensing |
of any house for the sale of liquor within 400 |
feet of building used, in whole or in |
par, for public school. In issuing Licenses |
this year this provision OF the law was car
ried out with great strictness. The owners |
Of property adjoining premises where liquor
is sold are also endowed with certain rights
of Directing TO sAloons, when they drive |
away decent tenants FROM the houses they
rent, and so diminish the value of neighbor-
ing property. "Fal,ure," says the Boston
"was the fate Of the old prohibit
Dry law, because il was too extreme for pop
ular support. Short of free rum, at any
point whatever, there must be more or less
More than year ago a new
Effort was made to rally the opposition to
he liquor curse. II was not started by the
leaders, but was distinctly avoid.
ID by them, because-it was tacitly, if not
openly, understood-their extreme views had
aliena,ed those who sympathized with their
him but not with their method" There
IRE many signs that those who sympathize
With the aim oil the PF0hTurriUni,ts, but
iifer from them in their means, are in
And those who intelligentlv OBJ
Jerve the present state Of things should
meet with no opposition from The pro-
whose efforts have not, after all
hese years of lsbor, met with that eminent
legree of success that warrants them in re-
isting efforts to try by experiments in new
directions, and SO 10 achieve ultimate vic
DRY. Of the various plans OF checking in
emperance none has, so far, had the signal
uccess thu has been achieved In Sweden.
Irn L., hal |
md was spreading go widely, that the states
nan and all public-spirited people saw that
lnless some check was interposed the de-
would become SO great that the
Of the country would become
eriously endangered. After elaboration
md experiment, they hit upon a plan that
ives great satisfaction. Towns and coun-
~ were divided into districts. Within each
district only specified number of l2ces were
Illowed 10 sell liquor to be consumed upon the
The number of liquor saloons be- !
ng diminished, license 10 sell at the per-
nitted places was of course increased in
'alue. These licenses are offered for sale by
uction at fixed Intervals, aud thus fair I
evenue is secured. The money thus raised ]
flows of the use of official superintendent
n preserving the strict regulations BY which
borough order is kept on the premises, the
license holder held responsible in cases of l
and scru.iuizing investigation {
3 made that no spurious, sdulterated or un-
wholesome liquors are sold. The license !
money also provides means for suppressing 4
unlicensed sales, which would !
e unjust 10 those who pay heavy license,
nd also an encouragement to drunk !
nnes=. The owner of license, in his own !
efense, becomes a Watchful enemy TO auy {
regular selling of liquor. This part OF the :
Ian, BY which the legitimate liquor 7
eller is converted into a ,uppressor of !
regular and irresponsible liquor-selliug, is
master-stroke of genius, and deserves the
profound attention of those who are in |
earch OF a practical and effeclual mode of t
heskinS iAtemperance without having re. t