The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-03-06

who have appelites stronger than the Dow
law. A law upon which men trample
breeds in the minds of the people con-
tempt for all law. In fact dead law does
infinitely more mischief in community
than live saloon. 1t will not be difficult
to unite the people in the belief that anti
liquor laws should be enforced. But an
other object of the anti-liquor league is to
secure the Improvement of anti-liquor
laws In the state of Ohio" "Improye-
ment" of courseis the great aim Of society
Paradoxical as it may appear, yet there
are always stumbling blocks in the path of
improvement and selfshness prevails over
patriotism and men become ready TO sub.
NIT to arrogant pretensions and comprom.
ise with exigencies at the price of improv-
ment, and liquor dealers flrtter and threat
en- and scare politicians and they covet
their friendship and indulgence only that
things may go just as they go, though
millions weep and society groans. Such
Is generally the result Of measures that do
not strike at the fountain head. Local
option is no sense full prohibition, and
casting back my look into the mirror of
the past, there / see upon mouldering
ground, written with warning letters, the
dreadful truth that local option has no
permancy. 1t is not the inspiration of
hope flowing 10 the mourning world. All
this we know. Michigan had il by coun-
ties, but the courts soon annulIed It. At.
lanta had 1t, but it was not the nurse of
new civilization, reforming the habits and
morals of Atlanta, and was rec,nsidered
and repealed. Delaware and Mt Gilead,
Ohio, had II, but 1t turned out TO be a
house built upon the sand and when the
winds oi opposition blew itfell II has been
shown to be practicable nowhere but in
rural communities and villages like Well.
ington and Oberlin, where 1t is sustained
by an overwhelming public sentiment
1t Is, therefore, a step in the march of
improvement, but it does not prohibit the
manufacture of intexicants, and from this
we sec the infinite merit Of general, or if
you please, national prohibition of the
manufacture and sale of intoxicants. We
do not despair of our country's future,
though il be overwhelmed with intemper-
ance, we have an uDwaver!ng faith In the
destinies of humanity, and there is one
law which can secure il; there is one law
the passage of which would prove rock
upon which the prosperity and happiness
OF this nation may rest secure TO the end
OF its days. And that law is one of abso-
Lutte and unconditional prohibition, not in
spots but throughout the land. But there
is not one single nation on earth which
has enacted Into its law book decree of
absolute prohibition. Men believe in
prohibition, they go TO church and they
pray and drop the blame of consolation
into the bleeding wounds of the afflicted,
and believe that they do all that the Lord
has commanded them TO do. They are
Christians but their nation is not, their
country is not. BY local option through
suffrage we may keep the glass, at times,
from the drunkard's mouth, who v. our
neighbor and that is certainly "improve-
ment," but is that the end of our duty?
Do we draw distinction between man in
his personal and man in his national ca
pacity. BY local option in Wellington do
we benefit our neighbor in Cleveland or
Elyria where local option is declared to
be both impossible and impracticable.
Should temperance legislation be only for
small places where at best the good re-
suits are not great. No law where thous-
ands are together. Are not these rum
cursed people our neigbho-s. are not all
the people Of Ohio, coIlectiyel', our neigh
bors, IS the divine law Of temperance
given only tor certain small relations, and
no, for all the relations private and public
between man and pam Duties must
fulfil else they are an idle word. Half
virtue is no virtue at all. The task o. this
glorious Improvement" is only to be done
by free and powerful state or nation by
the command oil the temperance voters.
II is only the power of the nation that
can raise prohibition to become ruling
law, and before this is done the triumph
Of temperance is not arrived, and without
that triumph all temperance legislation is
at the mercy OF political parties con-
trolled by liquor dealers Therefore
II Is plain that an anti-liquor
law TO be a permanent "im-
provement' must be engrafted on the
constitution. From the proceedings of
the temperance convention at Elyria Il is
plain that there was n lack Uf harmony as
to what would be an Improvement of
anti-liquor laws" II is not proposed to
repeal any Of them, because, it Is said,
their tendencies are good and their trend
in the right direction, educating and lead
ing the people on as fast as it is possible
for them to travel. prohibition by local
option" being the end OF all the improve
ment. But there was difference of
opinion as 10 what would be an i'm
provement and ii remained for
profasaor Reefv IN elan tho cli