The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-03-07
A TEMPERANCE TALK.
FeighbOr LaGrange Expresses
/, His Views.

an X f 81 Il -
Feighbor LAGRANGE Expresses
ss His Views.
EDITOR ADVANCE: As our annual
city election takes place in this month
of March, more or less interest begins
already to manifest itself in the issue
and as the temperance question is
likely to assume a place Of promi-
hence, perhaps it may not be inoppor.
tune or premature. to set forth some
reasons why this ought to be tenn
perance town as well as model
place in many other respects. If the
best interests of a community should
always be the paramount consider
[ation it is difficult to conceive how
any man can consistently vote in
favor Of legalized robbery and not
only that, but consent to rob them
selves, for every man that votes for
license is voting an unnecessary tax
upon himself. Three-fourths of the
burthen Of our insane asylums, our
poor houses, our criminal courts and
our pauper charges can be laid at the
door of the saloon and inebriety.
There is no other question in all the
world in which men are so insanely
foolish as this question of personal
liberty, this sacred right to put some
thing in the mouth to steal away the
brains, yet they ought to remember
that while they are SO tenacious about
their personal rights that other men
who do not believe in licensing that
which will propagatepa uperism, (which
will cumulate crime and that which
will tenant the poor house with hui
man wreckage, their personal priv
lege extends in defending themselves
against such as these. &.
The trouble with temperance men
is that they do not give the temper
ance question that prominence which
it's magnitude and Importance de-
mand. With few exceptions it is
made matter of MINOR consequence.
If it stands in the way of some politi-
cal scheme it is held in allegiance, if
it initiates against some local con-
sideration Of trade it is relegated to
the. rear and above all it is often
stabbed in the back by its quasi
friend who are, too coRardl y q too
Fhypocritical to come out openly and
show their hands. Now while I am
utterly, inexorably and eternally op-
posed to the saloon, for believe the
saloon and the liquor traffic are moth
ing but hell in solution, yet ] am
willing to concede that there are
many good men engaged in this ne
farious calling. In voting no license
we shall not only remove great evil
but save these men from themselves,
for by withdrawing temptation they
will have no excuse for continuing so
unworthy an occupation, and now as
! do not wish to make this lengthy
screed and as my only object in writ
ing at all is for the purpose of making
a suggestion or two, I would say that
if the temperance people intend to
put ticket in the field at all, let it be
a genuine simon pure, unadulterated
article, and if their nominees happen
to be men noted for their vote getting
talent all the better and above all let
them be young men of energy, OF ef-
ficiency and virile force of character
and if there be any antiquated ante
diluvians who think that they have
right to come to the fore, let them be
invited to a back seat. Give us an
infusion of young blood. Let the
head of the ticket be some such man
as Chas. Smallwood or Fred Mason,
who will take pride and pleasure in
doing good work for their constitu-
ents. --.>
The history of the world resounds
with the deeds of young men. Alex
ander, Hannibal, Caesar and Napol-
con held the world at their feet while
yet they we're young men. We shall
make no mistake by putting young
men on our ticket. Hold out every
inducement to engage young men to
put forth helping hand to redeem
society from this Juggernaut that is
crushing to earth all the noble aspir-
ations of our race, this moral miasma,
this whitening marasmus that
seems to be stunting and dwarfing
every noble impulse of mankind.