The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-23
COMPARES 1T TO AN ABScESS.
Rum Traffic is Sore on the Body
P0litic.

At the Cranston Street NJ. Il. Church last
evening the Rev. 4. j. Follansbee took
the text fer his no-license sermon from
Isaiah, chapter 1-12 verses, and from
1--33 verses of Proverbs. In brief he said:
''It Is hard TO say ANYTHING new of the
temperance question only as we would OF
an abscoss. As the Inflammation in
creases In the sore so does the evil of in
temperance increase before our eyes;
hence the need OF the lance TO let corrup-
tion out.
"The rum traffic is an abscess upon the
bocy polite, upon the home, community
and pan the personal life OF the indi-
vidual aud needs the surgeons knife OF
moral reform 10 be Immediately applied.
We hope the time is not far distant when
this seat OF moral disease will come to
read and discharge itself and that the
ointment of public opinion will heal the
sore before IL shall cover the whole sur
face OF tie political body. We now can
zee boils and assesses oil over the coun-
try, state and city in the shape of saloons,
bren cries and their corrupt politicians
nnd they are drawing out the life ard
health by these running sores.
'Me want to look at this matter wholly
from Business standpoint for the pres
cnt and consider how we can make this
traffic Per cent. back into the public
treasury, equal TO the risks which the
public takes when IL allows IL to exist.
There are two systems of license
known-low license and high license.
The former, which has been ried for 20
years, has taught US that 1t has blled cur
jsils, hospitals, roor houses and insane
asylums, and has necessarily increased
our police force. In either high or low H.
cense statistics inform us that 75 per cent.
OF all crime and 40 per cent. of all the
insanity is traceable TO the liquor traffic.
Then agar, saloons depreciate values, as
insurance companies will not insure
buildings where saloons are within only
at a high rate.
"Tne fact that high license is adopted
in some places Is confession that low IL
c nse has failed and does not restrict evil
or pay In places where high license has
been tried, experience has demonstrated
that the Same evils exist. 1t is true more
money is gathered into the public treas
ury for the price is raised and the num-
her OF saloons are lessened. But see the
effects. First, 1t requires tho same num-
Der of men to serve one saloon as II does
two small ones, as high license does not
stop men from drinking, but sends them
to less number of places. Secondly, the
high licensed saloon has monopoly and
provides entertainment that increases
the danger TO the persons who attend
them.
"Ihese facts concerning the liquor
traffic and the failure to restrict evils has
caused people to look for something else.
So, Ia some quarters the matter OF pro-
hibition has been asked for and we think
justly, for everything else has failed.
"Where prohibition has been tried and
honest men and efforts have enforced 1t,
anywhere as faithfully as they have the
license law, the desired results have been
gained. From a moral standpoint in
temperance is sin against the hody,
mind and soul. Everyone who takes
liquor as beverage takes SO much poison
into his system and the one who sells
IL Ii degraded, as he only does so for
money, making a merchandise OF the
body, MIND and soul and society has no
right to barter away these, nor to allow
others to bartsr in them. Officials are
made and unmade by the rum trade. Men
cannot be ELECTED TO Office without 1t, and
in many cases agreeing to work for the
inter st OF those engaged in the selling OF
rum, ana In some cases it mnzzlss the
press.
"In conclusion, let me say, first, when
conscience gels into politics then the
rum traffic Is dead; secondly, when voters
take their conscience to the polls their
conscience will go there too, and finally,
il rum is sold in Providence next year,
then there Is no conscience in Providence
politics, as 1t is either asleep or has been
sold for rum.n