Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-10-22

NSs - W. a ~
hoppers as compared with a saioor
keeper, and are SO regarded by the saloor
keeper. These men are the unwilling
unconscious allies of the liquor power
but they make most efficient allies never
theless. In critical elections they stay
away from the polls. They fear to vote
their convictions. They sremble lesI
they snail seem to be regarded as prohi-
bitionists, though they desire abolition
oil the saloon with all their hearts, and
when they are IN places OF safety will
denounce the saloon with ell their power
These men are powerful allies of the
saloon.
What better defense could those Cana.
antics have had than the committee oil
ten frightened men who told them they
could not conquer the land. Better than
wall and swords and weapons OF war
were these timC,ous men who put all
Israel into q panic because OF their fear
SO the saloon can have no stronger bull
warkthan o lot of good men going about
and saying, You cannot carry this
thing. You cannot enforce it if yon do
carry it. You are going to fail in it
There's no use trying to do snythiDg."
Now l want to say to the weak-kneed
and the wavering-the men who mean
we'll In this cause, but fear to do we'll
that much of the danger you fear is
imaginary. l know there is such a thing
as the boycott and that it hurts business
| know that the strife and struggle
aroused by this question is d~isagreeable'
obnoxious to good peHceable men. There
ere few of as who desire or enjoy O fight
We are men OF peace. We hate q con.
Hict. We will not enter into controversy
if we can avoid it. But it is not the
genius OF race, it is not in the
American spirit TO prefer dishonor to
controversy. On the other hand men
who love peace are always the best fight
ers when they get OF it, because they
fight for principle and fight for peace.
Dlshonor is worse than strife, worse than
death itself. | believe [ am justified in
saying this, that temperance men can
not face this ISSUE aud finch from it IN
fear without dishonor. We have oil
these years been coming up to this point
OF local abolition OF the liquor
traffic. We have sad again and
again, that this question is not
national, not general, not partizan, but
local and must be settled locally. Can
we finch now when the very thing we
have been working for is brought right
to our hand to do? What was thought
Of that man who enlisted for the war,
and drll ed and trained for months to
fight for his country, and then when the
lines were formed and the trumpet
sounded the charge fknlked off to the
rear. Are we not in G parallel situation ?
This is the hour for which we have been
preparing. The battle which for years
we have been anticipating. Is there
anything less than that one harsh word
which rises to every lip, which is suit
able to charaoterize the man who leaves
the ranks at this timer
But does any man think that there
will ever come a better opportunity
than this one in which to meet our foe,
and drive him from our promised land !?
When we come to statehood someone
says. Well, when we come to statehood
are we gong to have any fewer questions
before US to complioate the problem?
Why no sooner shall We have the chance
to gain statehood than there will arise
q multituda OF important questions to
complicate and obscura this entire
matter. There will be many things 20
decide upon, and the thrush of imml-
grafton, and the tremendous material
growth Of this region will bring untold
problems. I believe We are upon the
I'VE of statehood. We have few distraot-
ing questions now. Calmly end dis.
~passionately we can decide this supreme
problem as our sister counties have done.
We shall not have as good an opportun-
ity q year from now. We have an OPP
p%ortunity to settle this important matter
SO that future generations may rise up
to call US blessed. There is no oppor-
tunity better than this one.
Again, there is no gsin in postponing
the settlement of q difficult question,
when the light is eli in, when the facts
are all known, when the mind is fully
made up as to the right course. POST
ponement then is only weakness, and
weakness is often criminal. We know
how 1t was in the 40's and the SOS with
regard to slavery. We went into com
promise after compromise, postponing
and lodging the question in congress
and out, until at last there was nothing
to do but to draw the sword and fight
it out till blood and treasure flowed like
water. Does any body think that those
compromises saved the shedding of
blood, or made the war less terrible when
ii came?
This question of the abolition OF the
saloon must be faced sooner or later. II
you dodge it this year it will come up
the next. II you evade it and by your
fears defeat it now, it will not stay de-
fested. II it INJURIES your business,
if it reduces your income, il it causes
strife and disagreement now, 1T will con-
tinue to have these results until ii is
finally ard forever settled. The best