The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1886-02-04
ssThe vexed question:"
To the Editor of The Times:

10 INC EultOr VI Inc I1meS:
In reply to your criticism of my
course on the "vexed question: ]
would say, believing as 1 do, that
the habitual use of Intoxicating
drinks is an evil per see: That it is
a snare and a fraud to those who
use it; that if persisted in it will
ruin its victim, temporarily, men,
tally, physically and eternally. I
could not consistently with any
sense of duty. become party to the
fraud, by granting any man a
license to sell or give away that
which would debase and ruin nv
fellow men. The pecuniary gain
from high license does not lessen
the evil, and whether we charge
"thirty pieces Of silver" or thirty
thousand rs the ''price of blood,;'
we are no less amenable in the
sight Of heaven. In my experience
and Ohservation for over half Il GEN.
tury, 1 have seen young men Of high
promise, men of talent and intellect
not only lost to the community but
become a burden and disgrace to
their friends by giving rein to ap-
petite for intoxicating drinks.
wash my hands from having
any part in legalizing a wrong.
JOHN N. MCMILLAN.
Wahpeton, January Oath, 1856.
We did not so much venture a
criticism on Mr.. Mcmillan for his
course, as to incidently observe
that had he taken a different course,
he would have undoubtedly accom-
plished a little something, looking
at the question from our standpoint.
We contend that the human family
is so constituted that it cannot es-
tablish q general law regulating its
own appetites, vagaries and desires.
1t is too weak. The all wise God
Almighty does not take such strong
grounds against his people as does
the prohibitionist. God teaches
sims consequences and points out the
right way imploring man to assist
man in the observance Of His benif-
icent laws, after all granting hu-
manity the privilege of destroying
itself if it so elects; thus it follows
that over the liquor traffic and all
forms of vice and degradation it
leads to and abets the greatest thing
man can do is to throw a restraint,
making this restraint as strong as
possible; but to wipe out this evil ten
dency ut one fell stroke is to wipe
out humanity itself, and there is
law against murder. The wisest
and most upright men and women
in the world bring forth counter
parts of themselves to outward ap.
pearances who, how often, lapse in
to different forms Of degradation,
proving tho utter feebleness of hu-
manity. So then we think an
official in a community simply sinks
his power for positive good when he
takes such uncompromising grounds
as does Commissioner Mcmillan
In this day Of liberality and en-
lightenment he would either in
stantly revolutionize the habits of
the carth's people or wash his hands
of such fight throwing no restraint
whatever about this luxurious thing
with such evil tendencies, leaving
it, virtually, in his own estimation
to stalk through the community in
all its naked horror. This is the
Interpretation nine out of ten
would place on Mr.. Mcmillan S re-
ply. We do not believe that ten
able position, can see no good in
any direction from such a course
and think it would be attended
with an increased volume of evil.
We think it is mans duty to come
out and make good fight assisting
the law and the better public senti-
ment in casting restraining influ-
ences about all forms of evil by at
taching thereto as severe penalty
as possible. If the majority of the
board controlling the matter had at
least doubled the present license fees
making them $400 and $500, re-
spectively, we believe vast major
ity of people would have welcomed
the change. And then if the re-
tailers had seen fit to place beer at
10 cents per glass and whiskey at
Is cents per glass, there would have
been no objection by the majority of
the tax payers and thus we imagine
a good effect would naturally follow.
Undoubtedly Mr.. McMillan's reso-
luton and pronounced position on
this question will cause men to
think, and it may do great deal of
good, although that good may never
come up to his ideal. We had no
idea that a remark innocently drop
ped, the other day, would come to
all this.
Look at This.