The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-02-08
CONSTITUTIONAL PROHIBITION.

BY REV. THos. s. LONG, PRESIDENT OF THE
WARREN COUNTY TEMPERANCE ALLIANCE.
The rum traffic of to-day in our country,
has grown to be hydra headed monster,
clothed with the power of the kingdom of
darkness power which it uses to destroy
and ruin the fondest hopes and choicest pos
sessions of the human heart. 1t lays men of
noblest bearing and manners, and possessed
of cultured and royal intellects, in the way
side gutter like a very beast. 1t takes away
the proudest, loftiest minds, and makes the
possessor poor debauched idiot. 1t thrusts
its brazen head in at the door of happiest
homes. 1t seizes with its giant arms husband
or father, or brother or son, and with merci-
less clutch bears them away to its foul domin-
ion of misery and death. 1t breathes its hot,
deceitful breath in the face of wife or mother
or daughter and turns the gentle loving and
affectionate heart of woman into very char
mel house, III which is gathered corrupting
mass of all that is coarse and vile. 1t takes
its choice of victims, and revels most when
it works the greatest wretchedness and mis-
cry. 1t plants its murderous, steel-shod hoof
in the fairest gardens of love, and laughs in
fendish triumph over the ruin wrought-of
hopes and joys once bright and gladstone
now hopelessly crushed forever 1t can sport
itself, with satanic delight, in the very seas of
of widows and orphans of fathers and
mothers who weep day and night and cannot,
aoiH not be comforted, because their children
have been stolen, and without compassion
have been murdered, soul and body, by this
most iniquitous agent of the great adversary
of God, and great destroyer of the souls of
men. But this is only the beginning of evil
wrought by this hideous monster of iniquity.
Insolent and daring, it crosses the threshold
of the house of God, and in pulpit and in
pew it desecrates the very affairs of Gods
temple. 1t stalks into our legislatures 1t
assumes to itself dignity, and asks for place
in the council chambers of the nations con-
gress. 1t has become personal factor in the
choice of rulers and lawmakers 1t has grown
bold, impudent, INSCRIPTIONS, overbearing,
and hostile to every good thing. And it de-
mands liberties and rights. 1t claims the first
seat in all political affairs. 1t regards neither
God nor man. 1t would rather the nation
should perish than yield its own pre-emi-
nency 1t cries, Away with the Sabbath
And the Sabbath has no other such enemy.
1t stands to-day in the path of human pro-
gress, with its naughty head lifted high in
the air-the evil of all evils, the iniquity of
all iniquities that find home in this blessed
land. Mormonism is stencil in the presence
of a decent people; the spirit of popery is
inimical to our republican government and
democratic institutions; unrestrained immi-
grafton is a somewhat serious matter. But
what are all these, and any other evil you
can name combined with them, when COM
pared with the evil of the rum traffic! To
the shame of the American people the great
dragon has been petted and licensed to do its
deadly work. And, thus encouraged it has
become a creature of vast proportions.
Though brought up at the nations Preside, it
has never proved to be safe domestic ami
mall but retaining all its treacherous and
vicious nature it has never failed to attack and
destroy when opportunity has offered. Per-
haps have sufficiently described the evil to
pause that you may ask me what propose
as remedy, or how l would remove the evil!
My answer is plain one. would Stay the
beast I would extract the serpent's fang
I would blunt the adder's sting! The ques
ton has come to this all over our country !:
Shall this deadly dragon be destroyed from
among us, or shall we submit to the fearful
desolations with which our fair land is threat
ened? You ask how would do it reply
by constitutional prO1ti6iti0n! I would stop
the manufacture of Intoxicating drinks as
beverage It is practicable and can be done,
and, if we rightly interpret the signs of the
times, it aoiU be done. Let every state fall
into line with Maine, Kansas, and Iowa. Let
us then have, what we easily could get, pro-
hibition amendment to the constitution of the
United States, and the work is effected. This
is the great question of the day as to the rum
traffic all over our land. And may God keep
the question ever before the people until the
god of Bacchus be fallen on his face, without
even the stump of Dagon left as memorial
of his lower This is not political issue.
Whiskey and beer drinkers of all parties are
put on the same platform. In my opinion
it is mostly useless and not very sensible to
make temperance issue in a general political
campaign. I think the cause generally suffers.
But let the plain question come squarely be-
fore the people of state, Shall we put away
strong drink? Shall we prohibit the manu-
facture and sale of intoxicants as beverage?
Prohibition or license? Rum or no rum? 1t
is q question of social ORDER or, if you please,
of morals. 1t is question on which men of
all parties can vote without touching their
political preferences. And there is many
Door, ragged, besotted drunkard who will vote
for prohibition, because he knows that strong
drink is his ruin, and he knows if it were
kept away from him his drunkenness and
.xretchedness would cease. 1t is a question
al which ministers of the gospel might
Instruct and persuade the people without
awakening partisan prejudices. 1t is ques
ton dear to the hearts of women and chill
dren as no other question upon which this
nation ever cast vote. Now is there any
reason why we should not have prohibition?
Any reason why the supremacy OF rum should
not come to an end? / answer, no! Let
KING Alcohol be dragged from his throne.