The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-03-14

political power, in that he controlled so much
power in the human beings who were his
property SO now the liquor dealer is
political power in our land He is as much
a master of the frequenters of his place as
was the man who held his slaves and could
make them do as he wished.
1t is because intemperance is a bondage
and the liquor dealer is master that the
liquor dealer is hard and cruel. He listens
neither to the petitions of children nor the
sobs of wives, and remains untouched by the
ruin, abject and unholy, which his liquor has
wrought.
Because the liquor power is compact and
determined, because it is exerting such con-
troll in our land, because it is as arrogant as
slavery was in its mightiest days, because it is
threatening the best interests of the country,
the decree has gone forth, "the liquor traffic
must go and the liquor power must be con-
quered." This is the condition of things at
the present time
From one end of the country to the other,
the people are united in the determination
to break up this terrible growing evil in
our midst. The feeling is growing that
if we hope to live and have our liberty this
great evil must, at least, be curbed. 1t must
become the servant rather than be the master.
But the great question arises, how and by
what means is the result to be accomplished
which each one feels is SO necessary. Every
one in Jersey City, whether they are in the
habit of drinking little once in while or
whether they are total abstainers everyone
exclaims with wonder g see how many liquor
and beer places there are in our midst. See
the expensive manner in which some of them
are fixed up See again the amount of money
invested and the number of people to be sup
ported by the sale of liquor. 1t is astonish-
ing" Everyone admits that it is growing
evil which has assumed such proportions that
it will soon destroy us if we do not destroy it.
No one will deny the power and influence of
liquor dealers. They form the political power
of our city. They hold all the offices in their
hand.
We seem to be afraid of the evil which
exists in the form of Mormonsm, in the
centre of our republic. But Mormonism is
localized. That great evil is localized. This
great evil of the liquor traffic, strong, COM
pact, organized is everywhere. 1t is the
enemy of law and order. 1t is the enemy of
the family, the curse of wives and daughters.
If women could vote, prohibition would sweep
the land from one extreme to the other.
You can hardly touch family but some poor
woman's heart suffers because of this unholy
traffic. The liquor traffic more than any
thing else is making this world place of tor
ment, and retarding the onward steps of our
humanity. The liquor is the enemy of the
family, of society, of the church. There is
no good reason why it should exist. There is
every reason why it should be abolished.
Now in the crusade against the liquor
power which is being made all along the
line the question is asked are there per-
ceptible gains or is there more powder than
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what really and truly has been accomplished,
I must rub my eyes in amazement at the
almost unprecedented result In answer to the
question, what are the prospects of constitu-
tional prohibition in the western states,
Joseph Cook said in his last lecture, 60 consti-
tutional prohibition is rising tide and has
already submerged Kansas and Iowa and,
very nearly, Ohio. In Iowa the
the party which rules the state has one of the
noblest notices that any political contest has
recently thrown before the public x
1t is motto which hope will yet become ma
tional a school house on every hill and no
saloon in the valley"
Every one must be surprised at the pros
poets of temperance reform through the leg
islature, which is about to bless the state of
New York. Of course we know that the in
terest taken in the solution of the temperance
problem in the legislature is for political pur-
poses. 1t is a good sign when public opinion
necessitates the serious consideration of this
matter by our legislators.
Unremitting agitation in our own state
shows that if the liquor interest hopes to con-
tinue to rule it must fight for the privilege. 1t
will no longer be allowed to sit down in I'M
disturbed possession.
More and more in every part of the country
the question is assuming practical form
shall we let the liquor traffic alone and jeop-
ardize our sons and the happiness of our
daughters, or shall we seek to extirpate this
great evil The answer comes from every
where, away with it." The time is long
since past when the liquor interest can pro-
tect itself behind the question, has not a man
a right to drink glass of wine or beer Has
not man a right to sell a glass of wine or
beer? That is not the question which the
liquor dealers are constantly forcing upon u.s.
The question is whether liquor dealers have
a right to use all means which they can devise
to make lovers of drink, so that they can be
sure of patronage. That is the question
whether these places shall continue to exist,
to corrupt our youth, our homes to degrade
and besot. If extreme ground must be taken,
if no middle ground is longer tenable, if as
time goes ON it is seen that it must be pro-
hibition or unlimited sale, total abstinence or
unlimited license, then by all means give us
prohibition and total abstinence. If the
people are not in position to enjoy the
blessing of moderation, then remove tempta-
ton, until such time as the people are able to
practice moderation.
Now to come down to our particular locality
and the stems which are necessary here to the