The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-30
THE rRUra Asour PROHIBITION.

| loving reso utioa was presented:
"ResoFvsd. That Il IL the sense Of this
convention that the raising Of hops, oartsy
| or other csyeass for brewing or distalAlng
] purposes IS an alliance with the saloon ana
Satan in the work OF ruin and camnssion-
with which no disciple Of Carist ought IN
arr way TO Dc connected
The abovs resolution cannot be justified
The province OF a reformer should end
with reprovins man kind for the abuse, not
for the use Of thing, Ifit 10 sane re-
solve to declare that raising hops, barley
and other cereals for brewing or distillins
Is an alliance with Satan, then the raising
OF grapes for vine-making il al alliance
with Satan. and the raising OF peoples,
from which opium Is 70 be made, is ain
There 10 scarcely any vegetable from
which alcohol cannot be made. The most
posstoes. beta, turnips. etc, and every-
body knows what q vast amount OF rye,
wheat and corn 10 used In the distiliation
of whisky. The manufacture and use of
alcoholic drinks Is as old as any civiIiza-
ton Of which we have authentic records:
the sin consists not in the manufacture Of
alcoholic stimulants, but in their abuse
and psrversion TO vicious habits
The world is not to be reformed by the
elimination of everything that IL sus-
ceptibIe OF abuse. but by teaching and
exhorting men TO self-restraint, and If
necessary to total abstinence.
To refuse TO raise hops or grapes or grain
because they can be used for the produo-
ton Of alcoholic stimulants. and because
alcoholic liquors are sometimes used to
excess, lie absurd.
The true philosophy of life Ia not to
sbsurdly attempt TO make men good BY
extirpating everything that is capable Of
abuse and perverson to vicious results,
but TO teach men the necessity, the ex-
pedieney, the wholesomeness of self
restraint, even to the point of total alb
stinence. Character is not born TO any
man: il stands for conquest. and world
that was not led and ruled by men and
women who stood for conquest and self
restraint would be q contemptibis aud
worthless state Of being.
Men and women who do not sin be-
cause they never had @ chance; because
they never knew temptation; because
they were always kept bottled up or
locked in = cupboard are human moilusks,
moral invertebrates. Even Christ himself
was subjected to temptation and ST. Pani
was brand plucked from the burning.
Prohibition has not grown with the In
crease of population, ss any one can
satisfy himself by looking st the presi-
Dental vote for 1883 and 1892 In the
state of Washington the Prohibition vote
was higher by some 800 votes In 1880 than
it was in 1se2 Our Prohibition vote for
congress in 1890 was 2sia. Our Prohibit
ton vote for president in 1892 was 2542.
The total Prohibition vote for the whole
country in 1883 was 240, GOT for Fisk out Of
total vote Of Ii, SCI. 3s2 The total vote
for prohibition In 1892 was 264. 1873 for
Bidwell ont Of total vote of IL, 1i0.636.
1t is notorious fact that prohibition is
weaker today In Kansas, in Iowa. in
Rhode Island. and even in Maine than 1t
was five years ago. On the other hand IL
IL true that the cause Of temperance and
the cause of total abstinence has
advanced; there is without doubt
far less intemperance among the
people East and West than there Was
ton, which is not g principle bat merely
question Of expedient means to reach
desirable end, has become thoroughly dis
credited like its sister moral fad, !" woman
suffrage.
The practical, working, every day world
has no uss for such imprsotieable Iegisla-
zion as prohibition. The world is willing
to pay for inebriass asy lums, for hospitals,
for prisons, for almshouses a. houses of
refuge: recuperation and correction for
people who cannot be trusted abroad with
out guardian: for these exceeding costly.
II not dear fathers, who viii never be sure
20 come home even II saloons are ex-
tinot, but the world never was will
Ing. never will be willing, never ouSh.
to be willing to make all its
laws subordinate 10 the idea that the
chief soiicitnde of society Is for its flame
ducks" thai IL is the business Of govern
ment 20 lsgislate chiefly for the dying and
the dead rather than the living, for the
sick in body and mind rather than the
we'll. You might as well ask the law 10
compel society to reduce its diet down TO
the regimen of dyspeptie as to reduce its
| drink down 70 the total abstinence that Is
the memorable necessity Of sslf-prsserva-
ton TO a drunkard.
individuals can consult their own con-
science as to voluntary sacrifices for the
| sake Of what is called the educational ex-
ample. bat society cannot exiort this sac
| rlfice and enforce il By statute. You can
not enact the individual conscience or
practice Of only 20. 900 voters out Of our
| L 0oo. 900 voters into an efficient statute
| for your neighbour You can pass Law,
| perhaps, bat yon cannot make people treat
,hs Use or sale of alcohol as a crime simply
because you can prove thai the abuse OF
alcohol ls q serious social evil.
/ We cannot make law punish the
strong for The sins Of the weak, the limo
cent FOR the guilty. the sane for the insane.
the veil for the sick. We have tried 10 do
shis often and Ne have failed always. and
| Ne shall Always fail until the world be-
| comes Utopia and some proAi bltion
/ female doetriaAirs Is crowned its hsnlsnant
/ queen. When that comes. all society
that esn walk and work without q guar
| dian Will set cut: al The ducks. cave ths
flame dueks." wtn take - EtehI soeistx
/ thAi lives aud moves wili never conan. a