The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-08
SEATTLE. SUNDAY. NOV. s.
NEEDS ALL ITS
FRIENDS.

The number of men who lead temperate
lives and favor temperance are many and
influential; the number who are prohibit
tionists are comparatively few and not In
fluential, and therefore to insist on prohl-
bition, which the potential public opinion
will not have, is TO organize failure and
design defeat. The number Of people who
play cards and yet who are not profess
sional gamblers, and are willing and
anxious to abate gambling houses, are
many and influential, while the number OF
those who think it a sin TO play cards
at all are few and non-induential, so
that a crusade against cards. or
saloons where cards are played, is
not likely to get very influential sup
port, but to close the open doors Of
gambling houses would not be difficult.
The number of men who lead pure do
nestle lives are many and influential, and
vet the number of men who believe that
the social evil can be suddenly stamped
out, or extirpated, or excised by law, are
few and non-inflnential, so that in most
cities the community is content with the
largest amount of outward peace, order
and cleanliness they can get under law,
trusting to the preachers, teachers and
other spiritual influences to persuade their
feIlow-men to turn their eyes on the
heavens above rather than on the flesh
pots of Egypt at their feet.
The saints and the sinners who make up
society must inevitably share in its gov
eminent, and the moral reformer in poll
tics and social life cannot afford to forget
the distinction between the drinker and
the drunkard; between the card player
and the gambler, and most of all the dis
tinction between the sinner and the
criminal. Society does not want TO be
governed by its criminals, but it cannot
help being governed by many men who
are, as all are. sinners in a greater or less
fragrant degree. Society can ask of its
servants that they do their public official
duty. Whether they always do their pri-
vate duty is an impracticable Issue to force
to settlement The church does not ask
it; cannot afford to ask it, and the moral
refocmer cannot afford TO ask it in poll
tics Id push every man to the wall who
cannos prove that he is more chaste and
temperate than Hamilton, or more alb
stemious than Washington or Gladstone; ;
or moro pious than Jefferson; more hos
tile TO game of whist and a bottle of
claret than the great mass Of the Protes-
tant clergy in England and the continent
of Europe. Temperance societies to be
practically valuable need to do something
more than meet every year, call the roll and
cheer for the cause. Their work is TO get
recruits for their cause of total abstinence
and temperance. Where are they to get
these recruits save out OF the ranks of
those who are not total abstainers and are
doubtful of the practical worth and virtue
of prohibition, as opposed to taxation of
the liquor tratfic7 Do they expect to get
any recruits from men whose temperance
Is as wide as the whole moral world, even
TO moderation of speech? Temperance
men are sometimes in danger of forgetting
that alcoholism is not all of disgusting
and disastrous intemperance; that total
abstinence from liquor is not all of Chris
tan morality