Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1895-05-22
Letter From Pittsburg.
Pittsburg, Pa, May II, 1895.
Editor pLEASANTyILLE PRESS:

1
| Editor PLEAsANTvILLE PRESS:
We would welcome any and every new
force that may enter the field to combat
| the liquor traffic provided said force be
law abiding.
| | notice in your issue of May Sth, the
announcement of new force that is to
be hurled against theliquOr traffic. "The
| National Temperance Union" There is
| no doubt but they will accomplish good
| and along with other kindred moral per-
suasion orders, they will doubtless strike
| an occasional blow against the drink
traffic. If they do not it will be different
| from all other organizations of kindred
nature. In the early days of the temper
ance movement in England and America,
men were not required to abstain entire
| ly from intoxicants but before a great
while those originators of societies (sOme
| of them at least) saw the mistake they
had made and realized that it was an
| unsafe business if they wished to save
men, to play with the serpent. Hence,
| the total abstinence pledge, and now
venture to say that eight tenths of all
| the friends Of total abstinence would be
unwilling to go back to first principles.
If this new society is to be composed of
| men and women of those who believe the
W. G. T. U. has outhved it's usefulness
| they certainly must be class who have
| failed to observe.
Current events show us that society is
| welding greater moral and spiritual
power than any other in this and other
countries-the church excepted. | believe
there is no power that floats a national
| flag, but there you will see the white flag
of the W.C.T.U. Then you must take in
to consideration the character of their
work and the character of the workers.
They are in a great measure women who
have taken Christ as their nearest and
best friend and are desiring to follow
where he leads.
Mrs. Gridley might as well say the
Christian Church has outlived its useful
ness. Again she asserts, that if Prohib-
ton prohibited, etc., now how any sane
person can SO speak and claim they are
speaking the truth is beyond my ken. If
what she says be true, why have laws to
prohibit vice Of any kind? Do not pro-
hibitory laws, in a great measure pre-
vent crimes, against which righteous
prohibitOry laws are passed? Would the
National Temperance Union be willing to
have all laws repealed that prohibit
y
Prohibition does not prohibit. All such
assertions are almost positive proof to
me that persons working along that line
and spreading such doctrines are en-
gagged in begging business for licensing
political parties. Why did Democratic
senate and Republican legislature take
away from our State local option law
they had promised the people should
have three years trial, when it had
been in force but little over Is months?
Simply because it closed up in the short
time it was in force seven OF our largest
breweries and you know that without
such political bait, political officers could
not be caught. How has Prohibition
worked in Maine? Compare her moral,
social and financial condition with what
it was before they had Prohibitory
law. 1t is true, admit there is liquor
sold and drank there. / also know there
are horses stolen, and that too, IN parts
of our country where the culprlt Is
hung, and so with all other crimes, and
presume such will always be the case
SO long as sin reigns in the hearts of men
and women; but give us National Pro-
hibition law and instead of our 65,00O,-
600 of people expending $113, 3,0OO,OO
annually for intOXicants there will not
be $65, 600 expended. In regard to
high license, instead OF that lessening the
sale Of liquor in this state, or being the
cause OF less drunkenness, it has in
creased both. If a man has to. pay
81 900 for his license he will make
greater effort, and if need be in MANY
cases he will resort to ways that are
dark and tricks that are vain in order
that he may make that extra
500, and in addition to all of the above
the high license has been the fruitful
source of creating speak-easies all over
the state, and they are more dangerous
to the morals than the open saloon.
Now in regard to placing good and re-
spectacle men in the position of saloon
keeper | believe it to be the very best
way in which to make respectable men
disrespectable and disreputable, the best
way to turn his heart and hand against
his neighbours best interests, both for
time and eternity, for Shylock wanted
the pound of flesh.
This National party appears to be
afraid of getting politics into the Tenn
perance cause. Are not, ask, the
liquor trafic's best interests subserved
through and by politics? What is ex-
pected of government such as ours if
not to legislate for the best interests of
the governed? If this is not true, how,
ask, can it be government of the peO-
pie for the people and by the people?
Yours, for total