The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-09-06
Temperance vs.. Prohibition.

It'll pGIduC0 vs.. L IOAlOltlOu.
Communicated
We hail with pleasure the rapid advance
that is manifest in all directions in temper
ance work. Even those who are especially
engaged in the manufacture and sale of in
toxicating drinks are now striving to pose
before the public as the friends of "Tem-
perance' They all condemn drunkenness
and its attendant crimes. To mitigate this
admitted evil, those most directly concerned
in the liquor trade now have, through their
state and national organizations, agreed to
sustain "high licsnse" as a comprom Use
measure upon which they now ask all
friends of temperance" to unite. That they
have been apparently successful in securing
the support of the political leaders Of the
people, is manifest, and these haye in turn
been able 10 sway the church, so that now
we have before us the surprising spectacle of
men of the most opposite characters and in
terests all working and voting together to
sustain the rule of the Rum Power under its
new dress, High License. That no license,
high or low, has never iessenel the consup-
ton of liquors or the evil produced by it has
been abundanly demonstrated in every
state where the experiment has been tried.
The majority of the church Organizations
oil the land have endorsed the principle Of
Prohibition and denounced license as wrong
in principle and powerless as remedy.
With all these facts before us and the
positive assurance that it is worse than USE
less to expect any change in the present or
future policy of either the Democratic or
Republican party that will In any way in.
lure the financial prosperity of the liquor
trade while both are dependent upon it for
their continued existence, is ii not time for
the moral and christian, as we'll as the bus
mess interests of our country, to organize
for self defense, and not continue as at pres
ent to neutralize each others power for good
ago ceased to be or are in comparison with
this one very trivial in their nature Or con-
sequences. While those directly and indi'
reclly engaged in the manufacture of intox
icating liquors and their sale as a beverage,
comprise but small proportion OF our vot-
ing population, yet they are now enabled by
their compact organization and the vast
profits they have accumulated to constitute
the wealthiest and most dangerous 'trust"
that ever attempted to grasp the reins Of
our government.
This Trust not only controls our daily
newspapers and Associated Press and tele-
graphic arrangements for gathering the news
of the day, but it does what no other monop-
oily ever can have the power TO attempt,
corrupts the very source of all power, the
,oter. For this obvious reason every combi-
nation of capital in what ever "trust" or
organization it may be, that strives to enrich
its self at the expense of the rest of mankind
must pay tribute TO the trust that controls
at present the source Of legislation.
THIS Whisky Trust could not exist but
by the aid, connivance and open support of
the voters Of this professedly christian land
and the all powerful aid Of national laws
and the national executive power.
We then must appeal TO you as rational
men to stop and consider what you are do
ing before you take another plank from
your own home, to help build up that whose
only aim is to destroy it. Every vote You
give with them is a vote for them to help
continue and extend their power. They
have now associated with them the earn
ings of vice and immortality of Europe,
and have laid their sacrligious hands upon
the very pillars of our national existence.
Is our local prohibitory law of G, Gil Co.
safe from the assaults that have destroyed
similar laws in other states? Can we regard
the question as finally settled here when we
haye law that any legislature can repeal?
But we are often told that there is no dis
position to repeal it. Don't deceive your.
selve with this sophistry.