The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-12-04
Rev. Jelbart Heard From Again.
EDITOR STAR

EDITOR STAR
Notwithstanding the severe castiga-
tion received last week I again ask
the use Of a little of your space. l
shall not reply to the personal attack
made upon myself. II is very much In
keeping with all old party argument
against Prohibition In justice to my
self, however, must call attention to
the reference to my reply TO Rev. Mr..
Kelley. am quoted as having said in
effect shat Mr.. Kelley should either
believe in Prohibition or resign the
ministry" Nothing was more remote
from my thought when wrote the arti-
Gle; and certainly nothing in 1t could be
so construed by careful reader. Char
ity compels me to believe that Mr..
Smith read the article hastily, and thus
unintentionally misconstrued my words.
I fail to see where the most illogical
reader could find such an insinuation.
Mr.. Kelly's first reason for not voting
the Prohibition ticket is in brief "the
vile epithets applied to christians who
vote otherwise" In the course OF my
reply I said: "If the Erdminor, lead
ing Baptist organ, has been correctly
quoted, Mr.. Kelley stands in need of
quitting the ministry of his church,
that is II he wishes to be consistent. It
quotes certain ministers as calling Pro-
hibition candidates temperance cranks.
Calls Prohibition 'ragbabyism, petit
coatism, socialism and populism; as be-
ing an aggregate of political heresy
and humbug.' Certainly the pure mind
of our critic cannot endure this" 1t
does not require a very clear mind to
see the point aimed at: but for fear that
others should have misunderstood me
will try to make my meaning clear.
The minister in question refuses to
identify himself with the Prohibition
party because some of its members used
''vile epithets." Consistency would de-
mand that he withdraw from the body
OF ministers for the same reason.
1t would require very keen eye to
detect in Mr.. Smiths reply any argu-
ment whatever against the prohibit
tion OF the liquor traffic, but he makes
some assertions and attempts some par
allels that with the casual reader might
have weight. He denies that murder
and stealing are prohibited by law, that
the law simply defines the crime
aud prescribes penalty for the thief
or murderer. This is a distinction
without difference. According to the
STANDARD Dictionary" to prohibit is
"to forbid, especially by authority or
legal enactment" These crimes are
certainly forbidden; but as matter OF
course it is still within the province of
man to obey or disobey. To forbid an
act does not necessarily render its per-
formance impossible.
Without stopping to argue about the
meaning Of terms, what is it that Pro-
hibitionists ask? that the manufacture
and sale OF intoxicating liquors as a bev-
erage be forbidden by legal enactment.
The government has outlawed stealing,
murder, assault and other crimes; we
ask that it outlaw this traffic as danger
Gus to the home, inimical to the best
interests Of society, and the corrupter
of politics and public morals.
There is an effort to prove our posi-
tion absurd by asking: "Would you
make it penal offense to manufacture
and sell all weapons wherewith a man
might slay his fellows? Or would you
shut up from the sight of the murder
ously inclined all people who might be-
come their victims?" But there is nc
parallel here. These questions deal
with the instrument with which the
deed is executed and with the VIC
tim. Our demand deals with that
which changes the kind husband
and indulgent father into mur'
derous brute. The purchase and use Of
a knife, hatchet, or revolver does moi
dethrone reason, change a man into O
raving maniac, and send him rushing
home to imbue his hands in the blood
of his family. Men who purchase
hatchets or knives do not become afllict
ed with an Unsuitable appetite for theil
possession and continue to purchase
squandering their earnings therefor Il
the utter impoverishing of their fami
lies. Any weapon that may be used b.
murderer in the execution OF hi
crime may have its legitimate uses, AM
supply demands that are perfectly nor
NAL. Liquor manufactured and sold a
beverage supplies no normal demand
but must first create the appetite tina
it purposes to satisfy. I fancy, however
that II knives and hatchets served n
useful purpose, but on the contrar
changed their owners into demons tina
threatened the safety of society, som