River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-04-05
Christian temperance VS.. Political
Temperance.
tBY JOEL POSTER. J
CONTINUED from last sueek.l

peg, go home and strip them off and work
like mule the balance of the time. left
and came west boy of sixteen, have been
over 90 years in the valley of the Mississippi,
close observer OF men and things. After
about % years went back, as much out OF
curiosity as pleasure and to test this princi-
pie of Self-government VS.. Law Government.
| had all these bound boys in my mind
made list of them on paper. was stopping
with my cousin, who had remained on the
old original homestead and gone to school
with the same boys. soon commenced 10
inquire after them. | would say s'Hiram.
what became OF such a boy that Boss Clark
had?' "Oh, he is a poor jour tinker. !"
"What became OF such an onego 'sOh, he
died a poor drunkard" l run the lis;
through and found that they were all the
victims OF Prohibitien-not one escaped.
said: 'Cousin, what became of ragged Jack
that Boss Griswold picked up in the street,"
"Why cousin, you will hardly believe it, he
is one of the smartest business men in New
York City, is worth over hundred thousand
dollars and is very honorable man.
Now, the boys at Clark's owed him moth
ing morally. as he never gave them anything
or trusted them with anything morally, but
was feeding and working them as cattle.
They felt that he was degrading .hem and
tried to get even, and they did, as he failed
in business. and the boys were all failures so
tar as true manhood was concerned; and this
will always be the result oil violating these
principles OF our nature by prohibition, in
family, town, state or nation. Now, the
saloon keeper may be temperate the same as
the prohibitionist, but neither has christian
temperance Love of money overpowers the
love for strong drink with the one, and with
the other it is uncontrolled passion or love to
govern that controls him. Both are drunk
in the light OF the bible, with passion. The
high license man is still worse, as he has
the passions of both of the others combined,
love to govern and love Of money. Now,
these uncontrolled passions of these different
men are all gaining strength in proportion
as they are being gratiied. and in the end
will ruin the meA the same as intemperance
in drink. The saloon keeper won't drink as
long as he is successful in money making;
DllL llllS II llSICdSluS 1to paoolOH3 dhN Az VIII
show itself in fast women and fast horses.
and when this overpowers his money making
power he will stimulate little at first, but
will go quick. The pulpit keepers passion
will take the same course, but he will in
crease the crime Of adultery where the other
increases drunkenness, whilst the proportion
of crime according to the number will be
and he will not be as honest as the saloon
man, but will try to hide his crime behind
the cloak of religion. For instance, year
or two ago the st. Paul Press gave, as mat
ter of news, the number ot clergymen who
had been convicted OF the crime OF adultery
in one year, with bishop at their head
think some AS in number. The editor was
blamed by the preachers on the ground that
it would injure the cause of religion. Did
you ever hear OF one of them occupying the
same ground when DRINKS were reported,
that it would injure the cause OF temper
ance?
After remaining west % years more again
went east. The change morally had been
fearfully reaped, five times as great as the
first 25 years of my absence. When left
the first time, boy of l6 years, had never
seen saloon, had never seen a boy or young
man drunk When | returned the last time
the town was full OF both. This set me
thinking as to the cause. Sixty years ago in
that town, before this false doctrine of tenn
perance had commenced, the liquor ques ion
was under the control OF members of the
christian churches The only saloon keep
ers were the christian mothers. They kept
well-suppied bar, and it was free. No
license, and no money in it. The bar was
supplied in this way: There were three places
knew of that made cider brandy; my moth
er's brother, deacon of the Baptist church,
run one, the deacon OF the Presbyterian
church run another, and a leading merchant
and church member run the other. My
father took his cider as he took his rye to
mill and got his brandy. Mother made cur
rant wine, and they sometimes bought at the
store 1.-THE same as sugar and molasses) New
England rum Here was three kinds of
strong drink Cider was on the table at all
times OF the day, and in warm weather
mother would say: "Joel, you get me some
sweet fern, birch. wintergreen, burdock
root, mullen. etc., and | will make beer. I"
Then two large kettles would be hung on a
large iron crane in the kitchen fireplace and
halt barrel OF wholesome summer drink
would be made, all free, no lock or key in
the case for any of these drinks. We were
taught by our parents how to use, and not
abuse these drinks, in conformity to the
bible
There is quite difference between the
home saloon kept by the mother and the
license saloon of to-day. One had great
moral interest in her customers and no
moneyed interest; the other has great mon
| eyed interest increased by high license, and
no moral interest 1t has taken about 30
years to make this change. The first heard
of this temperance move, in very mild way,
was in the town of uaddam, Conn. A
preacher started it, Old men shook their
heads and said, che had better let it alone,
| there is priestcraft in it," and having
as they have increased the wrong remedy,
the evils of intemperance, prostitution and
| crime haYe increased, and appears to be in
creasing in proportion to the length Of time
these wrong principles have been in use.
will introduce two witnesses, one for and the
other against prohibition, Judge Cole and
| Mrs. Mary T. Lathrop, of Michigan Cole
| says, sin Massachusetts,, under this rule,
one-halt of the young men have gone to the
bad Mrs Lathrop says, sin Michigan one
quarter of the criminals are under age"
Here is increase in proportion to length OF
time they have been at work on ths wrong
| plan, but like the drunkard who viii in
crease his drains they want to increase their
plans in violation of Gods plan.
fro DE coNTISUED)
Cash paid For potatoes at McKahn
! & Henricksen's
Bird cages of various styles at A.
NJ. Youells & Co.'s.
| Rock Elm Center.
No March lion this year.