The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-05-08
The Liquor Problem.

luN IL SOlN " IT.
EDITOR ADvoCATE:-Th living, burning,
ail-lbSorbing question now before the public
is the liquor problem. We cannot cxagger-
ate the Importance of this subject; Il com
mands and demands the most serious atten-
tiOn, and every sentiment of humanity and
every throb OF christian sympathy for the
woe. misery and wretchcdness that exists In
the world, must ind its full deyelopement In
Il considerations of the devastation of the
homes and the crime and paupcriSm that Is
caused by rum-selling. The horrors of this
traffic are too deep and terrible to be rathomed
by any dinary calculation. A world OF
crime and misery meet us every day, and
everywhere we hear the agony of mothers
bereavement caused by this awful curse; we
see the tears of anguish that are shed by
wife over her dcbased husband; we know the
awful suspense and anxiety of mothers
feelings and crushing burden to see her
children subject to the stupOr of a drunken
frenzy. And all these are only part of the
awful consequences that constantly flow like
stream of burning lava over many of the
homes and best Interests of our country. II
Is certainly and lamentably true that all the
combined, are not to be compared to the de-
vastation Of our country bythis heneous and
terrible curse of frunl-sellng. The wholesale
waste and destruction of this terrible evil is
difficult to estimate. The many, many mil
lions that are worse than wasted may be
compared to grand cOnhagration, consun.
ing whole cities In its devastation, with no
redeemng feature and no compensating re-
lief from the wanton waste. It is all gone,
leaving Its blighting, blasting. scathlng and
poisonous effects Of all its surroundings
Blood, treason and affection are all sacrificed
on tins Moloch OF abOminaton. Nine hun
dred millions of the peoples hard-earned
money are yearly remorselcssly thrown into
this gulf, this yawning abyss of woe and
wrctchedness Various methods of solution
have been applied to tins intricate and i'm
pOrtant problem. Moderation has been
preached and practiced and has been found
wanting. High license has had, and still has
Its advocates, but 1t has not shown us the
way out OF the maze. Brewed liquors have
been recommended as proper substitute for
distilled spirits but they have proven a de-
lusiOn. Moral suasion has had n full and fair
trial, and the facts prove that 1t needs the
support of lis counterpart, legal sliasion, to
make 1t success. The right solution will
prove Itself true; which Is found to be Legal
Prohibition, and the only way To reach Il Is
by the BALLOT. 1t is the audacity of the
liquor traffic which we expect 10 stimulate
us to The proper YigOr OF opposition to It.
AS slavery went down In It's madness, so the
traffic will go; for whom the gods would de-
al Nla..Ws
to see the abolition of slavery, and 1t Is not
Incredible that some of us may live to see
the liquor traffic made AN outlaw by both
State and National enactment. We, us an
American people, are at present in a very
important formative period OF our history.
Certain new factors appear in the political
arena which are not well understood and are
not susceptible OF manipulation by the poll
| tician. The church of to-day is virtually TAX
Ing the same position on the quest ion OF
temperance that she took on that of slavery
few years prior to, and during the war
What MAS the result of that position? Vie.
tory to the cause she espOused. Behind the
church there Is "a formidable array of organ
lied Drawn and BRAN which has backbone
and energy enough TO keep ON until II is vic
tOriuus. The noble women of our land who
are organized 10y thousands under the ban
ner OF the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union have already made their influence fell
from the Lakes TO the Gulf, and from the A e
lantic TO the Pacific, and many politician
has felt the influence Of the electric shock
which made him shake In his boots. Anoth'
or class, commonly known AS cranks, stood
up during the last Presidential campaign in
a solid phalanx Of one hundred and nifty
thousand strong. 10 be counted for God, and
Home and Native Land The laboring ele'
ment is awaking TO realization Of the fact,
that the greatest enemy Ot labor as we'll as oi
k-E.-s..:.e.s r4z;. r4s cas&O!:e C..IgeG -.