Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-03-25
COMMON SENSE AT LAST.

The Rev DR. Theodore Cnylcr has
been from the first one of the prophets
of prohibition, and has probably writ
ten as much ia its favor a. any other
man in tIe country Il i doubtful If
even Neqi Dow has done more than
DIR. Cuyler 10 urn the Whole
strength of the temperance movement
into ihai channel. Bui DIR. CHt -
has made a discovery, aud now he
warns the temperance reforncre that
they are committing IA most serious
error in giving such excessive promi-
hence 10 the civil and political aspects
of the reform They g mi-lcd, be
thinks, .-by The speciouS assertion
that negro slavery was removed 10y
political party" whereas "ihere is
really very light analogy between
the polil .cal conf cts with he drink
traffic and the poliiica conflict which
was waged under the banner Of FIRE.
soil, free speech, AMI free labor :"
DIR. Cuyler- seems 10 have discovered
the dimulivenCss Of The analogy"
since voting for 81. John, aud it must
be confessed that there is something
in the history Of the 81. John cam
paign that might well have the effect
Of an eye-oponcr upon any true friend
of the temperance cause.
The Doctors discovery has clarified
his vision and lent new power to his
logic, lie sees now that Temperance
rs in other things the cart should be
put behind, and not before, the horse
Hear him:
The drsm~hop j. not temporary
institution created by statute: il j.
The creature of rhe drinking usages
of socIeiy. No fool would ever open
a liquor saloon and get out license
for il in any community Ia (which there
was no demand for strong drink
The fount-hrad OF liquor selling is
liquor drinking. Deeper down than
any civil cnactmcnts-w whether high
license. low license or no HccuSc-lc
the drinking usaecs, and every RENE
dy is transfer; and sunerficial that
does not re ch them. Even the worst
dram>cller doesnoi open a saloon from
sheer malice 10 Kill of hi neigh
bors. lie opens it simply To make
money by ministcrin" 10 appetite
1t is time that temperance advocates
ceased 10 dennunre saloon-keepers As
fiends and To speak of their customers
~ poor, innocent people Who never
go voluntarily 10 a bar-roon counter
Ii dram-sclling i a SIN so j. drunken
ness. and so i any patronage OF tur
dram-shopS. The most encci ual W
10 break up the liquor traffic i Ia 90.
away its customers aHd stsrve it oul
Verify these Ice words of wi-dom,
and from thc pen of a prominent pro-
hibitionlSis they are as surprising a
they are wi-c Tie burden of prohi- |
bitten talk and example tor wears has |
been, directly OF ht inpl cario". ihi>:
Ill is lie - Waste inr in pcr>uading /
the dr;nkard to L. We hi cups He
can't DO ii, poor fellow. the saloons
are 100 much Ter hun. he scllc,
is the guilty party and the
causc al all The " e. of in
tempe aEoe sui, a he traffic.
ana put "a down Ly hc >ae.rr Hand OF
iurc' +. for thus oG'N oni, can you hope
to nc omrii>h au, thing" Now, how
ever, DIR. CuNler sees I.cw lIgh'. at
is as certain a. gIavltaii n" hc >ays.
THAT if any large number of per-
sous i'm any communit, are deter
mined TO have nioNicanis, they
will somehow m4nage TO
get them. even if we pile our prohibit
tory laws as high rs the BROOKLYN
bridge towers. . We must AL
dress ourselves. therefore. 10 tie in
dividual conscieHccs of the people. old
aud young. and ply them with argu-
ments and persua>Ions 10 let the bot
lie alone. Death To the bottle
is the Only sure death To the dram
shop: and the bottle can only be brok-
IN by appeals TO the conScicnces.
hearts aud habits of our fellow men
II Is our firm belief that the good
'ause Of Temperance has been vastly
retarded by the Absorption of a.,
he movement in the utterly ,
schcme of prohibiting
he liquor traffic, a. il that We're the ,
,ause and not merely the effect Of the
drinking usages of society. \ similar
mistake long bcfoolei statcmen in re- 4,
,ard to slavery, which originated, a 4,
hey thought. in the foreign slave trade:
whereas that trade was itself the fruit
# slavery, which, by creating an eager 1
market for slaves, made il profitable I
O kidnap fresh victims from Africa.
Ne hail DIR. Cnyler new departure as !
m indication that the friends of tenn
,erance are about 10 put their cause
mon a more reasonable and rational ,
oundaiion.-FranS J4eslie's Illus
rated.