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

think that the good people OF Yapk
ton county have come st this time to til.
border land of Temperance reform. Goo
has led US hitherward these many years
lie has been educating the people. HI
has been teaching ue temperance ant
sooriety. We have been i%nstructins
the children, We have been signing
pledges, we have been holding gospe
temperance meetings, we have oircu-
la'e1 temperance literature, we have
preached and prayed. We have tried
every method which prepares the PEG
pie for the promised land OF absolute
temperance. Honestly and faithfully
We have tried to enforce our Sunday law
aud closed up . drinking places TO,
tWenty.four hours every week. We have
tried to protect the MINOR and drunk
ards from the curse OF liolor. We have
put a large license tax upon the traffic,
so large that no other business but the
liquor business could pay it aud live
we nave been careful about issuing Ii.
censes to men Of bad character. In ell
these ways We have proved upquestion-
ably that the liquor business is q dan.
Rerons business, that it is an enemy to
the city and county, q nuisance to be
checked and abated, and put under Sc
we're restraint, at least. l say all this
has been q preparation for something
better. Nobody thinks that this con-
dillon OF things is the ultimate thing,
Even now cautious men are talking
about higher license and more restric.
tons and greater checks upon the traf.
ho. Nobody thinks that license high OF
low is ultimate, the promised land OF
temperance.
In our own private lives too we have
been preparing the way for q promised
land OF absolute temperance. Many
men who are not ready for prohibition in
the county have absolute prohibition in
their own habits. Moderate drinkers
are fewer. Drinking habits are less and
less respectable. Most respectable men
blush to be seen coming out OF q saloon,
even though they have been in there not
to drink but on respectable business.
We have all hesn marching
towards Canaan with more or less
steady step, and we are to-day on the
border land OF total abstinence for the
individual and entire freedom from the
saloon In the state and county. l doubt
If there is a man IN this house who would
regret the abolition OF the saloon. /
doubt If there ls a person here who
would be sorry to see this business of
dfunkards and drunksrd making wiped
ont forever. I have been astonished to
lind how wide spread is the dissat;sfac-
tlon among our people at the presence
of the saloon. how that even men whose
habits are not beyond reprosch them
selves woald he glad to see this evil of
the saloon abolished.
What does it mean? Why simply this,
that the pc ,ple of Yankton city and
county look forward to the absolute pro-
hlbision OF the saloon at no distant day ,
Just as the children of Israel expected
at some time to possess Canaan, SO all
our people practically expect Dakota and
Yankton to be free from the saloon
sometime. And not only is it expected
but 1t is desired.
The men who pay taxes desire it. All
the women desire It. The business men
as a rue desire it. The farmers wish it
as a class. Most of US hope for it, many
of US have been earnestly praying and
working for it.
And now having wished for it, and Pc
titioned Cor it and spoken tor it in pub
lie and private. and held meetings and
paid money to support the cause, we
have come to the border land, beyond
which is the prize we have been seeking,
Never before have we been so near free
dom from the saloon. Never have we
been in a condition SO favorable to Sc
curing it. Two weeks from 9 Tues
day We are TO say whether or no We VIII
enter our promised lard OF sobriety and
temperance and abolition Of the saloon.
But as the children OF Israel had their
committee OF ten TO discourage them so
have We. There is no doubt about the
promised land being good If We Gan only
get 10. But it is going to be hard work
to get it, say they. 1t
flows with milk and honey,
the fruit it grows is Unparalleled Tor size
and favor-but alss these are giants
there and great walled cities, hard to
scale, and roads that are narrow, and
passes in the mountains from which it is
difficult to dislodge the enemy. We
cant do 1t. They are stronger than We.
Is that not the situation with us? Men
say abolition OF the saloon is a good
thing, nc doubt about it, but We cannot
carry ii IN Yankton county. The saloon
men are strong and intrepched. They have
more votes than we. They will beat us at
the ballot box. They've got the Bohemian
vote, and the German vote, and the Irish
vote, and q dozen other kinds of votes
We cannot carry it. "And we saw the
giants, and we're in our own sight as
grasshoppers."
Now the trouble is not that the saloon
has all this vote that I have mentioned.
il is q SANDER to these ~nationalities to
say they are controlled by the saloon.