The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-08-12
Moral .Sunsion and LdtO.

Very few persoss outside of those who
profit Dy papderlng TO mems vices, deny
that the sale and use OF liquors as beYer-
age are productive Of most gigantic evils
evils Of such magnitude as to demand the
active employment OF every possible agen
CIV u counterfeit and mitigate them. No
one expect, that anything that can be done
viii entirely extirpate these evils, but That
iudicious efforts Will largely diminish them
just a. human agencies tend 70 RESTRAIN
vice and promote virtue.
There is further agreement that moral
aueacies, such a. temperance lnculca'ions
At the Preside, In the schools, 10 the pulpit,
platform and press, what IL updtfstood
- the term ''moral suasion" must be The
more important reliance 10 promoting iae
teuyeruAce cause. Among active temper
ance men aud ~pm-u, VINO have learned by
practical dealing w4sD the appetit" IL. ln-
tox.cating liquors that II Can he succes--
fully resisted only at the beginning, ttere
i. entire agreement that the ba= o. sue
ce-sful Temperance work must be total ab-
-tlneuce.
Expefieuce has shown that when he
telDptatious Of the dram-shop are uUre-
strained, they gradually undermine and
overthrow what moral az Dcles have &C.
compa-hed. Young men Who have not 9c-
puu TO drink, ami oder mea who are en-
d.ayorlpg 10 break away from the Grams
.! appetlte-tue fruits " moral -ua-ipu-
are ,Iaily led 70 break away from Their good
resolutions By the Danetai Influences Of
drinking place.. Therefore, IN ord-r 10
make The triumphs Of moral suaston PR
ruanent, it Is essential that The law should
.tep in and d. all that 1t can do 70 billsh
or lessen the temptations Of the dram b y.
In other word ia~ Is an ard 70 moral SUI
sion By the use Of moral sua,lOp, "e
prevail upon men to form total abs llnefce
resolutions, OF to break away from dluh-
ing HABITS, already formed. BY law tue
State foruids the dram shop from exposing
temptations TO induce men 10 drink.
Il l. Dy these two methods that we pro-
mote .irtue and Icpe vice. We ieacl cur
children % form yirtuous resolutions and
habits. We prohibit by law panderers to
vice from setting up 5rOthels and gambling
nlace- to enlice our children into paths of
vice Il this cas- law comes IN as an ala
10 moral su4sion, precisely as 1t does IN
the work of promoting temperance. We
cannot and do not attempt TO compel Inen
20 ne virtuous and temperate. Bat we can
ana ought by law to prohibit men from en-
gaginy 10 the business OF tempting men
who want to be virluous or temperate. to
break their good resolutions. That Is just
what a prohibit law does. Il doe not
attempt 10 ,ay that men shall not orink.
L. simply says that men shall not Keep
dran-shops TO tempt men 10 drink who
have a desire 10 refrain from drink.
It i, sometimes laid that law prohi1'-
Ing dram shops amounts u nothing, re-
cause II man is determined to have fquor
ne will mana 10 get 1t. But may We not
with equal force lay that laws prohibiting
gambling places aud orothels are OF % &C.
count, necau-e II man IS determined 20
crafty his passions be will do so! The
truth is that all these laws do in some
measure restrain the appetite and passions
of such men by making it more difficult to
CRAFTY them. But the main purpose of
these laws is not to compel men to be viz
tuous and temperate VINO do Dot wan To,
but to aid men who have a desire to I've
such a life, and whoare easily Influenced or
who tind it difficult to resist temptation.
No cousiderate friend of prohibition eX-
poets that 1t will entirely extirpate the St.
cret liqu traffic. But he 1oes expec' hat
when prohibition is honestly and efficiently
enforced, it will wel-nigh extlrpate the
traffic in the rural sections, and Drive The
aram-shops 10 our cities and larger villages
into secret places known only TO the initia-
ted VITO are determined 10 have their llq-
uor-Lelrist0n journal.