The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-25

Dsrk Side Of the Liquor frame shown
by Rev. Clark Dawn.


Dsrk Side OF the Liquor frame shown
by Rev. Clark Davis.
Rev. Clark Davis, Of the First Methodist
Protestant church, spoke last evening on
the subject. why Temperance Reform,
and How7" The lecture occupied an
hour and q half and was alive with apt
anecdotes and illustrations. The follow
ing Is synopsis Of the many thoughts
advanced:
There are . thousand reasons why there
should be temperance reform Every
interest Of the nation and the individual
are endangered by the liquor traffic
Will mama few reasons Why every patriot
should be active in this work. IT'S an
enormous waste Of men. Some say 10o,-
COO lives are destroyed annually in this
country alone through drinking. Let rs
be conservative. say $1,000, a city as
large as Seattle, wiped out completely.
It's appalling to contemplate. Ills an
enormous waste OF MONEY: 81, 800. oo0. 900
in 1902 for intoxicantsl More than was
spent for the necessarles Of life. Those
who can afford il least spend most. No
wonder want and pauperism 10 every
where. 1t 10 waste of energy. Alcohol
destroys physical energy in the shop,
store, bank and everywhere. Ii is aste
Of virtue. The tendency of drink is to
4
nifty IL. You may surround il with ali
that is elegant and expensive: it is the
same old beast
1t corrupts the voter and Is consequently
a menace to good government. Prot. J. ].
McCook shows that about one voter in
every six in Connections il purchasahle
with bride. Connecticut 10 no worse
than the rest OF the states, we suppose.
He shows also that Is per cent of the tenn
perate are venal and 755 per cent of the
incorporate and 100 per cent of the drunk
ards are venal. Is there no occasion for
alarm2 1t increases the burden of taxa
ton. Sure. Criminals. paupers, etc, are
three-quarters of them the direct product
OF the saloon Yet all must pay their
share of this expense.
Why temperance reform7 In a word.
because the traffic in alcohol is active and
aggressive. How2 From the day the
temperance reform started in this country
it has never gone backward. How7 Not
by Iegalization. Not by licensing the
traffic The 240. 900 saloons of this nation
have grown up and are fourishing under
tons upon this traffic is and has always
been a farce because OF ITS lawless nature.
Progress is being made. First and fore
most of all, total abstinence is being
taught in the home. Mothers are no
longer ignorant of the dangers OF the first
glass MANY OF them nave constantly be-
fore their eyes horrid examples Of where
such beginning may lead to. The w. C.
T. u. with its go. 900 white ribbons, is Mt
work. The Good Templars hold their
meetings every week in every state from
Maine to California. Many other societies
almost as strong are teaching total absti-
nence and prohibition. Their lectures 20
everywh here; so do their lecturers. We
have scientific instruction for our public
schools in almost every state in the Union.
The pulpit launches shot and shell into
the camp of the enemy. Ten million
children are being taught weekly in our
Sunday schools. The religious press and
many of the secular papers lift mp their
voices against the enemy. The Prohibi-
ton party keeps pounding away at the
older organizations. This white dove of
temperance has two wings--one moral and
the other legal. Sentiment Is Intellectual
until ehrystsiized into law. The air is full
of this subject, and righteous decision
will be reached oy the people. Thus the
reform stands as near as | can possibly
give IL in so brief space. The task is a
hercIlean one. 1t will not be accom-
plished In day. Yet am confident the
people of my country will render . verdict
in accordance with the facts.