Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-04-12
CRUSH THE RUM POWER.
squclch the Breathing Holes of He'll

is GEAR from the arguments tnat are common
in mems mouths against It, For instance, il
is frequently pointed out that in ancient times
there were the most severe laws against
drunkenness, yet they were ineffective to
curb the vice. The severe code of Draco
the Athenian lawgIver, fixed death as the
drunkard's penalty The milder laws of So
ION imposed a heavy fine upon any archon who
became intoxicated for the first ofTense, and
fixed the death penalty for the second; while
any citizen seen entering wine-shop was
dishonored forever, and If he were a senator
he was banished from the Areopagus. In
other ancient Grecian cities there were laws
against the vice OF drunkenness. In one, IL
was ordained that any offeuse committed by a
man while intoxicated should pay double
penalty; and in another, that any one who
drank wine unless it was ordered as n medi.
cine by his physician, should suffer death.
And in Rome, the heaviest penalties were en-
acted against drinking on the part of women
and soldiers.
These and many other historical facts Of a
similar nature are brought up in array as a
convincing proof that men cannot be kept
from drinking by statute, and that gSlation
against the Illicit indulgence Of mans appe-
titles and passions is always imperfect and in
effective. We think the argument is falla-
cious when brought to bear against Prohl-
billion. These laws were directed against
the individuals who drank; Prohibition is dl-
rected against the manufacture and sale.
That is to say-the advocates OF Prohibition
recognize that Rum is the cause Of drunken
ness, and that it is perfectly feasible to prevent
its manufacture and sale; therefore, is it pos
slb.e by Prohibition TO cure the drink evil.
The lesson Of history is not that Prohibition
is impracticable, but that laws are ineffective
to keep men from drunkenness so long as Rum
is easily attainablc. No lawgiver OF any an
cient nation seems ever to have thought OF at
tackng the problem from the other side, and
preventing ntemperance by making it mpos
sible.
Fallen man is the creature of his appetites,
and unless he has a strong moral nature he
needs but opportunity and temptation to
bring him under the deadly spell of the Rum
Devil We do not object to laws which guard
the community, I'm some measure, for the evils
of Rum; but they are Ineffective 10 prevent
ntemperancc aud the terrible train Of evils
that follow in its wake, so long as Rum is
made and sold. The objective point is there.
stop the manufacture; prevent the sale make
it impossible for man to obtain the dev.p
drink in any of its multifarious forms, and the
curse is lifted from the land.
This is a view that should be set clearly be-
fore every voter Of the land, that should be
impressed upon our children that should be
taught by every church aud in every school.
Plainly speaking the object OF Prohibition is
not 50 much the raising of the fallen as ii Is
to prevent the downfall OF humanity, not
Ouly Of the present generation, but Of count
L.. he
once become a confirmed drunkard has lost
his moral stamina. So long rs he can get
Rum, he will walOw In the filth Of his de-
basing vice Punishment will not keep him
from IL; the only thing that will make man of
him again Is TO put IL out OF his power to
get Rum.
The worlds history is but the repeated
story OF the fall Of nations. Not one Of the
mighty empires Of the past Is in existence to-
day, and Rum was the most potent factor in
the decay OF each and every one of them.
Drunkenness is the fruitful parent of the whole
brood of debasiug vices, and the great
nations of antiquity fell through the dcstruc.
ton Of the manhood OF their people through
Rum and vice. 1t is the lesson OF the annals of
the world that power and wealth give the
means 10 the people of n nation TO indulge
their appetitcs, and that through that IN
diligence inevitably comes the decay OF the
state. IL was so with Assyra, with Egypt,
with Greece, with Rome and IL will be so
with every nation whose aag proudly floats to-
day, including our own loved land, IL the
curse Of Rum is not banishcd. Wherever
Rum exists, men will drink it-for a large
fraction Of humanity lacks moral backbone,
and is swaycd by passion and by appetit.
rsther than governed bv reason and obelicnl
TO the commands of religion and the behests
of common sense; and so long as they drink,
intemperence, and vice and crime, will
abound. Men are subject, by the eternal law,
TO the consequences OF their own acts; and
ic nj tlan n G n 4
munities individuals will be brought down
| to pauperism, to vice and to crime, aud the
nation will decay in the same proportion.
Man possesses the inherent right TO self pres
ervation, and this riCht inures 10 the state as
well. AS a man may take measures to protect
| himself against danger which threatens his
! life, so the nation may most certainly protect
! itself against danger which meuaces its per-
petuity or its power 1t has perfect right TO
! protect itself against Rum and the brood OF
evils which follow it, like vultures following
the march Of an invading army.
What then, shall our own country dol What
steps shall she take to protect her from the
| grave danger TO her national life from the
| traffic! 1t Is impatient Of control, rebellious
| against restriction. 1t is in the hands of men
who pursue it for its unholy gains wrung
| from the want Of mill ons, wrested from the
wives and children who are its rightful owners.
! Welded TO its internal traffic for the sake of
! blood stained and tear-wet gold, the Rum
| Power arrogates to itself nothing less than
| the control of the nation, that IL may perpetu-
ate the curse ard increase its gains. It is the
enemy Of the home, the destroyer of the fami-
| W. the advocate Of sin, the protector Of vice,
the defender Of crime. It's out-posts are
everywhere. From the SLOWLY ornamcnted
and pretentous barrooms that throng at
every hand In the main streets Of our great
cities to the beer saloons in the manufacture
Ing sections, from the combined grocery and
Rum-shop In the midst OF the homes of the
poor 10 the roadeside doggery In tho rural
regions, every place where Rum is sold Is
recruiting station for the vast army Of drunk.
ards, of whom 1t Is estimated that &C, 900 drop
into dishonored graves every year, in this
| country alone.
And these breathing holes OF hell are more
than this even. They are the kindergartens
| OF vice. the training schools OF crime. There
is not an infamous house in any CITY of the
land where Rum is not dealt out TO stimulate
mans basest passion, and to overcome
woman's resistance TO ruin. Rum stimulates
the criminals brain, and nerves the murder
| er's arm. IL drags woman's virtue I'm the
mre, and degrades manhood by its vile
promptings 10 bcstlality. it fills our peniten-
| tiarles with criminals. and crowds our moor