The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-02-27

raising the price of license, say two or
three times the present figures, we would
greatly diminish the number of saloons,
that this would be a great gain to the cause
of Temperatures; that as we cannot imme-
diately close up all the saloons, it would
be a good thing to close up half of them.
on the principle that half a loaf is better
than no Bread Blu we reply that that
depends upon what the bread is made of.
The poisoned half may do as much mis-
chief as the whole. A distinguished cler-
gyman of Brooklyn speaking on this sub
iect said, suppose a tremendous torrent
sweeps down a river and tears away half
the railroad bridge. The other half of the
bridge stands. 1t is about midnight, and
the express train is coming freigllted with
men. women and children. The watch
man stands there with his lantern. lie
sees the bridge our at his end, and he
waves the lantern "all is well, and at
forty miles an hour the train sweeps on
and having passed the first half OF the
bridge, crash, crash, and two hundred
souls are hurled into eternity. Is half a
bridge better than no bridge? Better have
no bridge at all.
| believe that the license system is
wrong, both in theory and in practice;
that the price of license don't alter the
character of the thing licensed. High
priced whiskey and a high-prieed saloon
will lead a man Town the pathway of de-
struction lust as rapidly as will the lowest
saloon of the city.
90 further, | believe the gilded saloon
with all its fine attractions, mirrored
walls, crystal chandeliers and luxurious
drapery is far more dangerous than the
saloons of a lower type. 1t is where the
enticements are the greatest that the young
men are drawn in. They don't go first to
the places of lowest resort. Vice is never
so dangerous as when it is gilded.
What then is our remedy? | have been
unable to discover any remedy short of
Prohibition. But we are told that public
sentiment is not ready for Prohibition. |
am not sure of that. But some Of the best
laws ever promulgated were quite in adj
vance of public sentiment. The ten com
mandments are all prohibitory laws,
and were very much in advance of public
sentiment when they were first given forth.
but their execution was not relaxed OH
that account. heard Neal Dow say that
the Maine law was very much in advance
of public sentiment at the time OF its pas
sage thirty years ago, but the effect of that
law was to educate public sentiment M to
its high ideal, and such must be the effect
of all law intended to improve the morals
and protect the rights of the community.
If public sentiment were already abreast
of the law. there would he little need OF
the law.
But some tell us that prohibition does
not prohibit We hear this every day,
we see it in all thepa pers. If the state
ment were true. why should the liquor
dealers oppose Prohibition They ought
to be its advocates. But they know better.
Only last night | heard a public speaker
declare that Prohibition does not prohibit;
at the same time he admitted that there
was not more than one-tenth the liquor
used in Maine now that was used there be-
fore the days of Prohibition. ! am thank
full for the Prohibition that has prohibited
the nine-tenths, even if we have to ae-
knowledge that prohibition does not pro-
hibit" as to the remaining tenth. That
Prohibition either by statutory law or con-
stitutional provision wholly extirpates
drunkenness or the Liquor Traffic no man
claims. neither do the most severe prohibit
tory laws wholly prevent murder, or arson,
or theft, but what would be the security of
society without such prohibitions?
In various parts of England and Ireland.
in several of the American States and in
hundreds of localities throughout the coun-
try the success of prohibitory laws has
been fairly demonstrated.