The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-09-13
TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

i Il VI LIZA NIL 1VIO 414Ns
In this column viii be published each
week the views Of the opponents OF the
saloon. The editor is not responsible
for the sentiments expressed here. the
source from which they are gathered
being generally given.
Observation of the results Of License
both in this country and in Great Brit
ain leads irresistibly 10 the conclusion
that it IS not successful as means of
overcoming the evils of incompetence
Nothing can be said in favor of the
saloon. whether licensed or unlicensed.
To raise revenue by authorizing tho
sale OF that which debases and pau
perizes the people is both Improbable
and immoral, and therefore indefensi-
ble.-United States Senator John j.
ingalls, in The Forum for August.
The following position taken by the
highest official body OF the Methodist
Church has been reiterated in many
forms by nearly all the various Protest
ant denominations in their conventions
or gatherings:
The liquor traffic IS 50 pernieious in
ests of honest trade. SO repUgnant to
the moral sense, SO injurious 20 the
peace and order of society, SO hurtful to
the home. TO the church. 10 the body
polite, and so utterly antagonistic TO
all that is precious in life, that the
proper attitude toward it for Christians
is that of relentless hostility. It can
never be legalized without sin No
temporary device for regulating it can
become a substitute for Prohibition.
License, high or low, is vicious in prin-
ciple and powerless as a remedy.
Concerning the recent defeat of ProI.-
bition in Pennsylvania, the New York
Independent" says:
The principle is just as strong as it
ever was; wherever public sentiment
viii permit it TO be applied. it IS also
effective. A sound principle and an
effective system cannot be doomed,
even by a defeat like that in Pennsyl-
yania. The time viii come when law
viii close all the saloons in Pennsyl-
vania. It has already closed thousands;
it is therefore already prohibitory in
degree. Those Eho scout the principle
of Prohibition are pronouncIng against
the principle of restriction. Restriction
is partial Prohibition: it contains the
germ OF the full-fedged principle. Re
striction IS good where Prohibition can
not be fully applied; but restriction must
become more and more restrictive in or
der to achieve permanent success. The
Brooks Act has done great things: but
watch and see if its effectiveness con-
tinues for any great length OF time.
Watch and see il, in Philadelphia and
Pittsburgh, there be not gradual in
crease of saloons and gradual increase
of Iaxity in the enforcement OF the law.
The point which we wish TO make is
that Prohibition is permanent prin-
ciple, while License IS not.
The prediction Of the independent
is verified almost before the smoke OF
the battle is over. BY the recent de-
eision OF the Supreme Court OF the State
hundreds Of new licenses have been
ordered, much to the dissatisfaction Of
thousands who opposed the Prohibition
amendment because of their belief in
efficiency of the Brooks law.
On the other hand the "Volksblatt"
voicine the exultation Of the Pennsyl-
vania German beer drinkers over the
defeat of the amendment, says:
The victory is complete. The prohi-
loo defeat from which they will not
easily recover. The real meaning Of
this victory Of liberal ideas over fanati-
cism and hypocrisy, true American no
tons as against false Puritanism. and
large amount of hatred Of foreigners
and hatred OF foreign ideas Is not seen
so clearly in the momentary victory OF
our present license system over the
threatening spirit Of legal prohibition
of the liquor business. The principal
Importance Of the victory lies in the
fact that on account Of the oyerwhelm-
ing majority (l9o, 900 IS now talked of
the agitation of prohibition has received
killing blow, not only in our State,
but all through the Union, for many
years to come, and ii IS to be hoped for
ever
This shows very plainly who are the
active opponents Of legal prohibition,
and just the company in which good
citizens find themselves when they
take sides against the prohibition IA
natics."
The Boston Traveller" commenting
upon the Pennsylvania supreme Court
decision. says:
The immediate effect of this decision
can but be the large increase of places
where liquor is sold. Parties who are
refused saloon licenses will only have
to become, in a technical sense, bottlers
or wholesalers to carry on business as
they desire. The law allows bottlers to
sell liquors in quantities of not less
than a quart, not TO be drank on the
premises. 1t is easy to see how such a
business can be made most productive
of evil. The radical prohibitionists re-
garded the recent defeat Of constitu-
tional prohibition as most crushing
blow, but it is TO be doubted if it was
really so serious blow to the cause Of
temperance reform as is this decision Of
the Supreme Court, which destroys in q
large measure the force Of the Penn
sylvania highlieense Law. from which
such beneficial results have already
come.
AS to the farce recently performed in
Rhode Island on this subject, the
"National Temperance Advocate"
quotes:
The other false assumption is as 70
what il was that was on trial. 1t was
not the Prohibitory law, but the eX-
ecutive officers of Rhode Island. They
have been tried in the balance and
found wanting Sworn 10 enforce all
the laws of the State. they set them
selves to work to prove this law fail
ure by falling to make an honest at