New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-07
,cal option have both had many trials ana WIN

-. .,,o,,a b,vo Le,n expectcdD varying results
Where public opinion had first risen to i".' 'ocos
milton of tho need of reform. the reform mas oeeh Us
tablishcd successfully. Whera public opinion hau
NOT been sufficiently educated even drastic meas
ures have failed That is the teaching OF American
experiment. and no doubt the same results VIII w
obtained elsewhere 1t is encouraging 10 Observe
however that the perception OF the heeu Oh ''''o,
once reform is everywhere becoming more general
and that the educational Efforts 10 u'ss'",''''
sound knowledge regarding the physiological and
psvchical effects OF alcohol upon the human organ
ism are bearing fruit. But when glance ls cast
imam the immense national expenditure on drink.
when thc prevalence of drinking places IN all
centres of uopuat on is observed, when the 1aet j.
remembered that abstinence is still unusual ana I"
bc remarked II must bc realized that as YET very
little hcadway has been made against th' e'c"''N'
curse of the age IN intelligent ana cuh'al'u 'n'.
ority have freed themselves from the drihN-"n"''
nnt the masses remain its thrills ana nr"".'''
ness is still So common that even thoS' WI" IA
most carefully observed the tendencies oi 'l' Univ
o not always appear certain that II Is NOT I"o'V"
ing.
Mr. Gusiafson shows. or his facts SNOW 'h'' wv
,,,,i,- ,olios ran bc hnrrl ror There is work Tor
much more than all the agencies now eht"f'" II,
rohtinr drink aud There IS need for ~ eNransoh W
l. az ,jnj,ult and the means IT disposal sn inaie
uuotr that thn true rhilanthiuri~t mnst hesitate ~
lsro,,t,+n ANY sincere lahntprs w the N'hpNn"
oven ttonah their perceptions be tun hniio" hn'
tLpt goal too aggressive Hut 40 thi7 autumn l"S''
saws ~ clnsiha his review al ihe VhNit9 w w, W.
eHs temperance ofsahifatinhs " Nv '"9P "''''
heroo eto,ts viii collapse, 80 ~ ilt ias' - 'N wv
not founded IA individual character ahn ""''h' WV
tho individual he he Fich ga r""' em'"'"' "
ohsone; 0n his pat enoe, Nhselishh'ss' Ns'"''
constauov and humility all reform, ali regeneration
comes at last 10 dexend without 'h'"'' ,"""" =,
stato and society to either with Their l"ll"sl
L.,nos f,u IttIe NV little into moral decay.
These are the words of truth, and they should b'
fine moro needed of us because our state Is deu"c-
racv which above all forms of government Is ne
ncndcnt for its success upon the worth oil the III
dividual That indeed is the standard we nave
adopted That is what Equality s'sh'Hes' '"'
whether this equality shall be one OF degradation VI
of nobility is problem not to be solvedby any gov
er,nout II j. 70 be determined only by the quality
of the individual conscience and the individual as
plrations If the average American cltlzeh reS'S
content with state of social development pfiS'''"F
with anomalies thick-set with active cVi as'"'o,
deformcd BY impatient avarice' sellSh "sr"E''" "
the common veal, and apathctIc 'oier""o" VI
ohnses social and moral then the equality which
matter what evidences of material prosperity may
ho annarent II. ON tie other hand, the individual
conscience is sensitive and the spirit of progress
has informed il with altustc tendencies, thcn the
work of regeneration will be facilitated, the upward
inpulse will he impaired in turn to each stratum III
the community and the equality which obtains VIII
be one Of generous emulation and fraterhai aii'-
ance in the struggle after higher ideals.
In SO complex a state of social growth as 'hat
which now exists all important progress inus'
necessarily bc slow. The drink question Is the out
come Of centuries of error II il deep-rootcd rein
forced by inherited apitudcS buttresscd by custom
and vlvifed hy an appetite the indulgence OF when
constantly weakens the power of resistance All
cxnerieuce proves that the fight against such an
evil must be arluous and protracted. but IL must
also he remembered that the combat has already
continued long timc Mcanwh lie 1t may be said
that all tie tendencies of modern culture are en-
listed ON thc de Of the temperance bataons; that
religion and morality are there too thar all Know
edge. all aspiration. all true ambition. al self
respect all unseshncss. all patriotism, all national
pride all motives and influences whatsoever which
make for righteousness and purity and good citizen
ship and manhood, are on that SIDE; ana thai
against them stand arlaycd every agency ana III
Nuence that tend toward Dissemination. degrade
tion immortality lust. indulgence. sloth. iasehO0d
fraud ncapacity and unttncss. To express, there
fore. fear that ntemperance should conquer in the
fight wonld be to doubt the ultimate victory Of
Right and Progress over rong and Anarchy; and
pessimisrn in such n case would merely imply in
ability to interpret the history of mankind and the
tendencies of moral development during the present
century. But # we can judge from the past it must
be concluded that the solution Of the d:inkqucSton
will coincide with the lifting of humanity to higher
plane of life plane upon which the necessity Tor
temperance in Things beside drink will be rccog-
nzed: when the cultivation of the Will as a means
of H. aintaining control over all degrading usts and
appcItes viii LONGER he neglected as II has been
hitherto and when tho increased scnstivencss OF the
individual conscience Will protect the community
more cficctualy tSan statutory prohibitions agalnst
tie wees which brutaizc and disgrace Willie they
destroy at once mind and body.