The Press., 1894-01-11
w. C. T. U. DEPARTMENT
New Britain's No-License Vote

New Britain's NO-License Vote,
 The second day of last October, Nev
 Britain voted by a majority of 9O1 to out
 law the saloon.
 The attempt had been made many time
 before by some of us, and we had obtain ed quite hearing for our argument, bu when the test came and we were mos successful, we had failed with a majorit, agaiust us of about 300, and the effort when interpreted by average opinion, hat only served to show the weakness of tn, temperance forces and the utter useless ness of trying to make any head agains | the saloon.
 Why have we succeeded now? Whence this great revolution? It appears to mt that in true and comprehensive answer to these queries lies the solution of many great and pressing dangers that have arisen under our republican government Our case seems to me worthy of tht 1 careful thought and patient study of ai who would correctly read the signs of the times. The results appear to me to prove the following propositions.
 a The tendency of genuine gospe temperance campaign is toward enmity to the saloon and the natural result in this last decade of the nineteenth century is a united effort to secure it's destruction Some prohibitionists have been inclined I think, to undervalue such work and to feel that they who were engaged in it were often wilfully, consistently and even wick ly..dodging the main practical question for temperance people to consider today, viz-the stopping of the traffic in intoxi- eating liquor. Prohibitionists have felt that it was high time that temperance work and workers had left the primary stage of arguing for total abstinence and applied themselves to urging for decisive action, in view of facts already well known and on all hands admitted. To stop the wreckers throwing men into the rapids above the falls has seemed to them more useful and timely than enthusiastic rescue parties with ambulances and hospitals for the victims below, especially if the res curers seemed to take considerable pains to slur the military who were striving to operate above and greatly needing rein forcements.
 Doubtless there is measure of truth in these views but New Britain results teach that we should encourage and CO., operate in all work that is good, what ever it's leaders may stop short of doing that we think should legitimately follow
 Almost with unanmity they who have been reused to see, feel and fight the drink habit, will if they persist, be sooner or later the natural and mortal enemies of the drink traffic.
 In the Murphy meetings in New Britain very little was said against the saloon, and yet nobody in New Britain doubts that this grand uprising of the people to ban- ish the saloon from our city was it's re- suit.
 A direct attack would hardly have been so influential.
 1t often happens that the best generals achieve their greatest successes by indi- rection.
 To secure the best point of attack is half the battle. Let us, as Prohibition lsts, practice ''do everything policy" and recognize personal total Abstinence as the cornerstone of our cause.
 g. The power of the best citizenship in our communities when united to accom- plish any reform, is simply irresistible When small fragment only works and g. large part of those who should be and are the natural leaders of the place in good things, stand off and say, you can't! you can't! you can't! or yield only for