Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-09-28
EDITOR ALMA REcoRp.-I ask the

EDITOR ALMA RECORD,-I ask the
privilege of your columns that l may
address an open letter to my prohlbi-
ton friends of Alma and elsewhere. AS
many of your readers well know have /
been Il warm advocate of the principles
adopted by the SO called prohibition
party; and from the depths of my soul
| feel today AS much interest IN the
cause of temperance as anyone can,
and feel the same ardent desire to lend
all the aid in my power to eradicate
what | verify believe to be the greatest
of all the evils that has ever cursed this
or any other country. feel confident
that none who have ever known any of
my history from youth to old age, will
question my sincerity in this matter.
AS early in life us the year 1888, wheE
| had not quite reached my majority,
was aroused by the proportions Of this
gigantic evil intemperance, and at once
raised my hand to do what could for
its eradication. In the year 1910, when
the first temperance society of the
country was organized, which was
called the Washingtonian society, /
was one of the first to subscribe my
name and feel proud today when |
look back to that act of my boyhood. In
the year 1912, when the Sons of Tenn
perance was organized | at once be-
came member of that society; and
later, when the Good Templars was
brought into society, was one of them,
| and still later donned the red ribbon
and lastly identified myself with the
third or prohibition party.
During all these years | have used
my best energies in the advocacy of the
cause | so much love, never allowing
an opportunity to pass unimproved. AS
/ have held this course SO dearly during
these past tifty-three years of my ma
ture life hold it equally dear today.
1t was this spirit of arduous zeal that
led me to identify myself with the so
called prohibition party. l had hoped
to be able through the medium of this
party to enact laws to effectually
drive out of our land every drop of in
tOXicants and wipe out all the stains
made 10y intemperance. But after so
many years of effort and close obser-
walton | am led to conclude that this
result cannot be attained through any
law-giving power short of the Divine.
The subject of prohibition is unques-
tiOnably one of morality and must be
dealt with as such, and if the talent
that is now being exhausted in vain
effort to whip political bubbles on the
Surface of purely moral waters was
spent in the right direction much good
might come to our people as result
If the money spent annually in the
same vain effort was used in the edu.
cation of the coming generations in the
evil of intemperance, great good would
come to the nation and our children
would rise up and bless those who en-.
gagged in such noble work.
We have laws today on our statute
books which if enforced would prohibit
the sale of intoxicating drinks as q
beverage in our far famed village. But
what are the facts in a community
like this where the prohibition party i.
well represented? 1t is a fact conceded
by all that there is more drunkenness
on our streets today than there wa.
when we had five licensed saloons
What is the matter? AS | have said
we have prohibition party and pro
hibition town and none of us believe
that the liqu n that causes the drunken
ness referred to above is purchased out
side of our village. We know it is not
In cOnversat on with man interested
in lager be, / business in our village
only few d. Us ago, he told me that n,
had sold in Alma and vicinity within
the last two months little less thar
six hundred barrels of beer. This
would make an annual average o.
about $500 barrels.
Pause, my prohibition 'r'enls ant
consider. These are startling facts
After all these years of labor in tn,
lecture room and at all times an,
places and never Withholding my none,
or ballot when duty called Seeing n,
good results from the political temper
ance work, and after careful consider
alton of this great question which
deem paramount to all others, / an
led to conclude that it is the part o
wisdom to re-unite with the great an,
grand old republican party which ha
always been on the side of temperate
and morality.
As | am thoroughly convinced. tina
the prohibition party is practically
failure. that their zeal for the cause ha