The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-07-02
" riltcn Tor Tho MoNiTon.
MORAL VERSUS EEGAL NJ ASTON.

MRS. FANNIE II. CARR
Ammber ofpcrsons claiming lobe ardent
advocates Of temperance reform, maintain
(notw outstanding the general discussion of
the legal phase ot the temperance ques-
tion) that it is u subject for moral effort,
and that il is Illogical and even useless to
attempt to lcgiSlate people into sobriety;
that it is utterly vain to enact prollibitory
measures until the people are ready for
these, etc. These captious critics seem to
forget that we have 4 very ancient code of
prohibitory laws given by the very highest
authority (the author apparently nncon-
eerncd) as to the readiness of the people
to obey. In the code of laws given to
Moses, which has formed the basis of
civil Jurisprudence, as we'll as ecclesiastical
law. there is not the slightest provision
made for the readiness Cor otherwiSe) of
those for whom they were intended. We
remember that some years since it was
said OF certain prominent workers, these
are the people who believe in voting the
evil ont. whilst those (rcierring to others)
are those who believe i'll praying it out,
and this said in such a tone and with such
infection that left the Inference that he
latter workers were by far the most devout
and trustinl. tiod forbid that | should
ever seem TO miniIy prayer OF the power OF
divine grace; but fully approaching these,
| also know that there Is a divine order
i'll the condact OF affairs, and cannot see
that il is Indicative of reverence and hu-
mllity to expect God Ia effect, by super
natural intervention, what it is plainly
mans duty 10 do. (.And if this be hcresy,
You must make the most Of it. for |, also.
must have the courage OF my c%onvic-
tinns'). 10 act otherw Use would be mani
ness, fol If divine aid supersedes the ne
ccSsity for mans working in the cause of
temperance. it is clearly logical Ia expect
the same assistance Irrespective of meanS)
the ease. III goes without saying that it
would cifrctually end human enterprise
and cndcavor.
\ common objection with many $50
called temperance advocates,1 is That
prohibition don't prohibit. Well, one
thing is morally certain, whoever doubts
the efficacy Of prohibition, il is not the
legion oligarchy. In their official organs
they call upon their constituents in the
most terse and lorcible Anglo-SaXon, to
make a grand and united rally to fight the
onward march of prohibition, and with an
elopuence worthy OF n better cause i'm
plorc their friends to awaken to the perils
of the ho~ur-contirminG their statement by
giving the list of the states that have al
ready adopted prohibitory measures. That
clear thinker and thorough scholar, Rev.
Jos. Cook. who with more point than
polish says, when he finds ont what the sa-
loon don't want, that is the thing he's
going for. There is a whole mine of practi-
cal philosophy in the above, which temper
ance workers would do well to note. | be-
lievc that grand trophies for Christ
and humanity, have been won from
the ranks 81 King Alcohol. through Cos
pei suasion. In one ease, it was II very OK
nerienee in this line that intensified our con-
v~ictionS as to the paramount need of prohi-
bition. We saw clearly that whilst we
women by dint of persistent effort, sympa-
thy. presentation of Divine aid, etc, rescued
one victim, the saloons were making at
least five new ones, and the stubborn
logic Of facts" convinced MS that it was
about as wise as running water into a
seine, to give our energies and time to
the reformation of the incbriate. (grand a
work as this is without at the same time,
doing cali that in us lies" for the abolition
of that modern "sum of all villianies, the
legalized liquor traffic, and remembering
that christianity has no foe more potent
foe than the rum oligarchy, we believe it
to be in the eternal fitness Of things and
entirely in the line of christian work-for
engaging in which no servant of the
Master need apologizc-to make as the OBJ
jectivc point of our temperance effort the
overthrow of the manufacture and sale of
intoxieants rs a beverage,