Mexico weekly ledger., 1888-03-15
Formal Opening of the Anti
Local Option Campaign
in st. Louis.
SENATOR MeGINNIS REVIEWS
THE HISTORY OF PRO
HIBITIoN.
The Cause of the Vets Formulated
from Figures and Legal
Facts.

A mass meeting of citizens was
held in Entertainment hall in st,
Louis on the evening of the 7th,
under the auspices of the League
for the Protection of Personal Lib
erty. The large hall was filled with
members of the League and others
who are opposed who are opposed
to Local Option. There was also a
fair sprinkling of ladies in the
audience.
After making an appropriate
opening address, Mr.. Barret intro
duced Senator J. c. MeGinnis, who
made a speech, a large proportion
of which we publish;
Mr. President and Fetlo,v Citizens:
1t seems almost impossible for
many persons to talk ON the SUBJ
jeet of prohibition without display
ing undue heat and indulging in
personalities having little or no
relevancy to the matter at issue,
and disgusting to all persons pos
sesslng good taste. | scarcely deem
it necessary to state at the outset,
that l shall not offend in this par
ticular. At the same time / shall
speak the truth as | find it--so far
as ] go.
| deplore intemperance as much
as anyone can. 1t is needless to
recount its miseries, or to exagger.
ate its effects. Its desolated
homes, ragged, ignorant children,
heartbroken wives and mothers
ruined health and dishonored
graves are familiar to us all, and
will not be denied nor apologized
for by me. And the real question
with every lover of his race now is
how to mitigate admitted evils
The prohibitionist asserts that il
can be best done by legal enact
ments and sale of Intoxicating
liquors as a beverage. This
deny; and thus the issue is made
| up between us SO far as it can be
properly discussed to-day.
In order to quicken the sympa
thies and intensity the zeal of theil
supporters it is usual for Prohibi
tionists to declare that the drinl
habit and the vice of drunkenness;
are alarmingly on the increase il
our land, and that nothing bu
their panacea, and that speedily ap
piled, can save us from becoming
literally a nation of drunkards
This pessimistic view, like the po
litical doctrine it is intended tt
support, is wholly false.
DRUNKENNESS DECREASED.
Drunkenness has greatly decreas
ed in this country during the last
fifty years. Any of my hearers
who are as old as ], will remember
that time when almost every one
drank, from Maine to Louisiana
whiskey, peach brandy, apple
brandy or rum; that the exceptions
to this habit were very rare.
Church members, deacons ane
even preachers drank; that no bust
ness or social gathering took place
at which the bottle was not passet
round. That house-raisings, log
rollings and corn-huskings usual,
ended in drunken frolics, ant
militia musters were nearly Away
finished in the same way.
That every sideboard was sup
piled with liquor, and no visito
was allowed to come or go withou
receiving the offer of its contents
| That harvest hands would no
work without it, and, in brief, tha
it was used everywhere and b
Everybody, and that drunkenness
| was not then by any means so rar
as it is now, and that it was nc
then regarded with disapproval
| where it is now looked upon will
adherence. Who, in these days
ever sees a drunken man outsid
the towns and cities? and seldor
there, compared with what wa
constantly seen in former times.
As illustrating the habits of tn
people of New England during th
early part of the present century
reference is made to "The Temper
ance Recollections" of Rev. job
Marsh, in which he makes the dt
, claration that, throughout th
range ofhis observation, the preacf
ers drank as hard as the Iaity. an
that all, men, women and childre
: often got drunk together. That &
his ordination in 1918 the council
, composed of thirty ministers an
delegates, assembled in a larg
chamber at tavern, and that a
of them, except one, drank spirit!
and that he demonstrated again:
their doing so ON such an occasion
and for his interference was calle
a apest' and a s'blackguard" b
one of the bibuleas fathers. Man
other writer's of the period max
tsimi1ar statements concerning tf
drink habits of the people of oths
parts of the country.
Often have ! seen good ol
father pass our house, going on Sa
urdays to his preaching place wit
a long-necked, empty bottle
either pocket of his overcoat; an
Just as often have / seen the san
good old father returning on MOI
day with his long-neeked bottl,
and his rotnnd person all as full |
} they could hold of corn-juice res
eye, obtained from the still of IL
deacon at whose house he preael
ed.
Now, who ever sees the decant.
!. set out on the sideboard; or tt
bottle passed round at publ
gathering? And it is pertinent
!, inquire, what has wrought th
great change in the drink habits Z
the people? A complete answ,
would be very difficult. That it
, partly due to the very great IN
proyement which has taken plat
IN the condition of the people gel
orally cannot be questioned. tt
wonderful improvement in gener'
intelligence has had its effect, an
D the wide diffusion of special ii
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