The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-30


hunter or herder to the level Of organized,
systematic barbarism. 1t took years TO
lift him out of organized, aggressive bar
barism into the state of enlightened civili-
cation. Through all these slow changes,
this evolution from pure animalism to
high, humane civilization. whose basis is
the doctrine of individual self-restraint as
necessary to the largest permanent happi-
ness, comfort and prosperity of the greatest
number, the drink habit and the social evil
have been maintained to considerable de-
gree of vitality. Why? Because thou
sands of years of habitual indulgence has
rooted a tendency to alcoholic and sexual
intemperance in the system of man. These
vices are inextricably blended with the
man; they coincide with the pleasure
loving aspirations of many men.
The alcoholic habit is the natural, if dan
gerous tonic, of many men who are in
trouble. in pain, in despair. Alcohol and
opium, in some of their various forms, are
the anaesthetic of the poor, the wretched,
the sensitive, the sentimental, the sorrow
full man, and the fayorite stimulus of the
healthy, sluggish animal man who delib-
erately wallows in the mire of pleasure
with no more sensibility of conscience to
his degraded situation than a sow that
grunts and sleeps and sleeps and grunts its
life away in its noisome sty. Men who
shrink from abrupt suicide
easily drift to death through the
drink habit. It is, as we have said, so in
extricably blended and intertwined with
the passions and pleasures, the joys and
the sorrows of mankind that no thought
full man ought to be surprised that it has
never been appreciably stamped out by
legislation. AS well might we expect to
convert the heather suddenly to Chris
tianity by burning their joss houses,
pagodas, temples and mosques as to make
men sober by prohibiting the saloon.
The elimination of the drink habit, bred
in and out of men for centuries, cannot be
secured by statute. 1t can be educated
out of man by time, patience and candid
remonstrance at home, at school, in the
church. by the press, by the physician.
The doctrine of moral self-restraint, and
absolute individual moral responsibility
for the consequences of failure to respect
and enforce this obligation of moral re-
straint must he constantly taught, not in
uncertain and vague accents, but with I'M
compromising sternness of speech and
illustration. If the awakened temperance
thought of our time is to do any real good
its work must be measured not by the
number of rum shops it fitfully closes,
but by the nobler general moral
atmosphere it creates, and by the higher
social standard of behavior it presses upon
US all. Before this, and before this only,
will tipping shops languish and finally go
out of business. Without this sentiment
it is of no consequence whether you sud-
denly close seven or seven hundred rum
shops. You might legally close them all,
but your victory is barren SO long as the
incorporate desire of those whose wants
bid those rum shops rise remains
unquenched; for with shut-up shops
your public intemperance is only
exchanged for more secret but not less
destructive debauchery. The rum drinker
is the true point of attack; he must be con-
verted, because he cannot be bottled up,
placed on high shelf in a locked cup
board; he cannot be Theoretically sealed
up and shielded from temptation. Stir
into activity his resistant moral forces
from within and your immoral forces from
without will spend their waves in vain
upon the rock wall of his resolution.
With the forces from within in reasonable
activity it is of small consequence whether
there are rum shops or brothels at the
elbow or not.
What is wanted is not a specific lift of
the moral and social atmosphere with
reference to excess in the use of alcohol
but general lifting of the scale, that car
ries not simply the temperance man but the
sUhOle man with it. In this way we can
steer clear of cant, rant and trading on
temperance reform. In our American
climate and with the American highly
nervous temperament the total abstinence
| preached by Francis Murphy is probably
the most prudent rule of conduct for most
| people, as it undoubtedly is an indispensa-
| bic rule of life for many persons, but if
anybody is to be made total abstinence"
or temperate" it must be done by the
| private remonstrance of those evangelists
| of either sex whom he loves or at
| least respects for their absolute sincereity
and deyout friendship. This appeal is not
seldom needed save when drunkenness is
not an exceptional, thoughtless convivial
excess, but deep-seated terrible disease.
Such persons, whose will becomes para
lyzed, and whose moral and mental vision
is become cockeyed, or even clouded con-
stantly with a cataract through drink need
doctor, and in extreme cases they must
be placed under long restraint and physio-
logical treatment until they are in a CON-
dition to comprehend and obey moral an
peal. This is about all we can do for the
actual victims of the drink hahi.
but we can do something toward lift
ing the tone of society on the
subject of incorporate drinking
IN another way. Let women see to il that
men are despised. derided and Stunned az
much for cold-blooded dishonesty as for
intemperance; as much for cruelty and
soul-destroying avarice; let women cease
to condone the villaines of fashionable
men of wealth and social position, who
are the sober scoundrels of their day and
generation; let them show that thew
measure man By the whole circumference
OF his manliness, which means all of
= ~