The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-08-04
PROHIBITION FOR WISCONSIN,.
By WALLACE MYG ATT.
THIRD PAPER.

cannot always compass his duty by
standing upon the highway, an observ-
er and spectator of the affairs of the
state in which he lives, Of the society in
which he moves. Within many places
of abode the sky may be iridescent,
and the moral sentiments solid and
secure; but after all can one look with
comp0sure and serenity towards dwell
ings, near and remote, flooded with the
tears of mothers having sons who stand
upon the verge of dissipation.
That Great Being who formed the
earth, who placed life in the sea and
upon the land, hath said that He made
man in His own image. That image
distorted by intemperance that hui
man form reeling upon the face Of the
earth in the delirIum of intoxication,
what mind of man can measure the
offence to the Deity arising from the
loathsome exhibition?
In Wisconsin people should not too
readily lend their ears to the ayerment
that public sentiment will not sustain
constitutional requirement which
would prohibit the manufacture and
sale of intoxicating drinks within the
borders of this state. But such aver
ments are made even in the face of
daily occurrences that illustrate the
conditions herein above profiled and
fairly presented 1t is noticeable, how
ever, that those who repeat that aver
ment antagonist the submission of this
question to the legal voters of the state.
There appears to be slight. travesty
in the argument, since, if the public
will not sustain the enforcement Of
prohibitory laws, it would follow that
an amendment to the constitution to
compass that object, would if submit
ted to the people, fail for the want of
necessary support.
Many of those who are employed to
address the public upon the temperance
question give instruction to their own
efforts. All intelligent men under
stand quite we'll the evils of intemper-
ance. If men need instruction it is in
what relates to legislation. One could
collect liberal sums of money from
saloon keepers toward defraying the
wages of an elOcutIonist who would
undertake the reinstatement of inc
briates to their primary condition as
moderate drinkers. Drunkards are
however in bonds, and their re-enstate-
ment as moderate drinkers, or their re-
turn to society as sober men, is beyond
the reach and compass of human en-.
deavOr.
The utterances, often eloquent, of
those who speak in public to the in
temperate class, cause, in many in
stances, a reformation, and if the mind
could subordinate the appetite, the
changed conditions would be virile and
complete. There occurs brief but
active struggle between duty and de.
hatchery; between safety and peril
but the poor victim finally "treats'
past good resolutions and falls upon
his knees to the idol of intemperance.
When elections occur, and the time
arrives to "speed the ploW," the public
are cautioned to avoid antagonisine
the party which stands nearest to pro-
hibitionlsts in sentiment, and portion
of the assumed leaders clothe them
selves in kirtles and retire. That
apostacy causes fatal interoisOn at the
critical moment.
Men say between two evils choose
the least; but when there is an oppor.
tunity for third and better choice, the
argument is defective. To what ex.
| tent there may occur moral obliquity
in choosing between two evils when
even the third choice is not present is
a question for studied consideration
Men who are marching on" toward
the overthrow of the liquor traffic are
advised with great earnestness tC
change the emblems on their guidons
assume the characteristics of the gull
limot, and step forward to the support
of one or the other of the more domi
nant parties. "Your party" they say
is in hopeless minority" and is pow
erless, so far as relates to the accom-
plishment of your aspirations and YOU
desires. One might reply and say
What party has not had its period Of
infancy; what party has not been in
the minority? The question arises
AT what period would party achieve
supremacy in the legislature that was
sufficiently elastic to lose it's oppor
tunitieS by gifts.
The most important hinderance tC
the successful overthrow Of whisky de
bauchery lies in the fact that the hus
bandman sleeps while the enemy soWs
tares. 1t is by no means certain, OIL
even probable, that the dealers in and
consumers of strong drink constitute
the majority; but they are keen-eyed
and active when the opportunity fol
| striking clandestine blows toward the
public is presented. They alternately
hatter and threaten the legislative can
didates of the dominant party, and the
affrightened nominees straightway SUI
coordinate conscience to the idol Of
official position. The public, while
these clouds interlace, have an oppor
tunity for action and utterance; and
the nominees who undertake to ride
the Banbury Cross upon the should
ers of corner saloons" should be I'M
seated at the polls, without reference
to what party may lose.
1t is matter of public notoriety
that Mr.. Falk, a beer brewer of Mil
waukee, was recently the nominee OF
the democratic party for state treasurer
and Mr.. McFetridge of the Republican
party for the same office. 1t is certain
ly a subject for profound regret that
the circumstances should have coerced
Mr.. McFetridge to the fallacious con
clusion that the achievement of sue
cess required that he should fight the
devil with fire." and that acting upon
that unjustifed policy, he should have
attempted to Guido his competitor in
ornamenting with "smiles' the count
ers of Milwaukee saloons. Standing in
position of one of the forerunners of the
party, it became. necessary, metaphori-
cally speaking, for members of his
own party to become '.bottle holders
on one side while the prize fight ensued.
To overcome legislative masquerade
ing in what relates to the liquor traffic
and remove double enten1re from the
mouths, also from the hands of all
nominees, the public need to do no
more than raise the pulsating arm at
the right moment and in the right di-
rectlon.
In large villages and in incorporated
cities political caucuses are usually
crowded with the paid adherents of