The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-04-03
w. c. T. U. DEPARTMENT.
For God and Home and Natire Land
PROHIBITION IN IOWA.


The lesson of the last election in this
State has not been lost on the friends
of temperance. 1t was no doubt need
ed and came not a day too soon. There
had, seemingly, grown up in the minds
of many temperance workers, false
and we'll nigh fatal feeling of security.
They appeared to think that the great
and decisive battle with the rum pow
er had been fought and won, that the
battle cry and the war song should
give place to the pipings of peace, that
the flag under which they had marched
to victory should be folded away for
an indefinite era of peace and good
will among men, and every soldier of
that once glorious army might fall out
of the ranks, go bis way, and all look
on complacently while the prohibitory
law proceeded to enforce itself. There
has been rather much rejoicing over
prohibition as embodied in a law while
too little has been done to make the
law effective Legal suasion is good
thing when backed by public senti-
ment. But we must have moral sua-
sion first and all the time. If we can
not have this we cannot have the 9TH
er. When temperance organizations
cease to be active and temperance
speakers and writer's lag in their zeal,
the enemies of the law conclude that
it is becoming unpopular, and straight
way redouble their own efforts to make
it unpopular. While our law has done
much good and is destined to do still
more, it has not been as effective as it
might have been if it's friends had
stood up to their work better.
With view to uniting all the ele-
ments Of society that are opposed to
the return of the saloon rule and Sc
curing more earnest work in the con-
tinued education of the public con-
science and in the defense and main
tenance of our prohibitory law there is
being organized in various counties in
this State a Temperance Union. A
committee appointed by the recent
State convention, outlined the plan of
the work and the organization. "1t
centemplates not only union of all
temperance organizations, but of all
churches, colleges and higher institu-
tons of learning. The union would adj
here firmly to the doctrine o. prohibi-
ton and abate not one jot or title of
their belief in it's absolute necessity,
but to add to it's power and efficiency
they believe the work of moral suasion
by frequent appeals to the public con
science should hereafter be made a
special feature of temperance work. %
Dallas county fell into line with other
counties last week. Polk county Or
ganized the same week. The Polk
county convention was held in the
Central Christian church of Des
Moines. Many shades of political and
religious beliefs appear to have been
represented, all united in a COM
mon cause against common enemy
The size of the convention and the
character of the resolutions and
speeches indicated that our neighbors
are fully alive to their duty regarding
the supreme question of the hour.
Prohibition is not dead in Iowa. II
is not sleeping. 1t is gaining grounc
once more. There was time whe1
our prohibitory law appeared to be il
great danger. If the new Legislature
had met Immediately after election
and organized for business, probably
the law would have been repealed
Every day of the deadlock in ou
house of representatives sets the time
for the possible repeal a little farthe
away and increases the probabilit,
that there will be no repeal. Prohibi
tionists are not particularly proud O
any advantage gained in such an ir
regular manner, but will accept it a
the only grain of comfort to be gath
cred from the unseemly struggle.
An incident which VIM. A. Spurrie1
chairman of the Des Moines conven
ton related in the speech which b,
made on taking the chair was a goo<
straw, showing the direction of tn
temperance tide in our State, even a
it's lowest ebb. Last fall while return
ing from the Sioux City Corn Palace
he fell into the company of an Illinois
an on the train and asked him wha
had been his impressions of Siou
} City. The stranger said the impress
sion made on him by this visit was re
markable. In his own state, he said
there could not be a gathering of onl
a few hundred people without Their
: being dozen or more drunken mel
: on every returning train, and here,
, said he, "is train returning from
gathering of many thousands and NO
an intoxicated person. No man coul,
: have come to my country and mad
me believe that prohibition was at al
I beneficial. Now, no amount of argu
q ment can make me believe that It j
: not benefit and grand success" !
will be remembered that Sioux City
l the place where few years since til
l Rev: Haddock was so foully murders
7 by the saloon men for daring to lii
his hand against their illegal, soluble
: stroying traffc.-R. D. Dodge i
? Christian Evangelist.