The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-08

toward diverting our social fabric of
this evil.
From all that has been said, it fol-
lows that intoxicating liquors should
not be sold. 1t is trueism, Ii is an
automatic truth that whatever is injur-
ious to man ought not TO be used by
him. and what man ought not to use
ought not to be sold. The good of the
community requires us to make sure
against Asiatic cholera, and whoever
would disseminate IL would be a moral
leper The good of the community re-
quires us to expel intoxicants. No
man therefore has a right to sell 1t.
But how are we to eXpel it? Only as
the people will to expel it can it be
DONE In Maine the people will that
the law shall be fulfilled and to their
will 1t is prohibitory state. The law
in Kansas is complied with as the peo-
pie will it, In Iowa the will of the peo-
pie shifted and the law was repealed.
AS the will of the people is, so will stat
utes be enacted and enforced. Mon
tana law is good enough; Respect for
and will to enforce the law is needed.
The liquor law of Nebraska, If complied
with. would rid the state OF every grog
shop and not a few drug stores And
the liquor law of Montana is as strin-
gent quite. if not wholly, as the Ne
braska law, as l have found by careful
study. Public sentiment is the pro-
Queer of. and not the product. of law.
We cannot shift the entire responsible
ity onto the law-enforcing department.
1t requires more and deeper sentiment
TO enforce than to enact a law. A law
is dead letter that is not reinforced
by public sentiment. Exactly as the
standard of morality is. VIII the laws
be enforced. The liquor law OF Mon
tana would, If enforced. make Butte
prohibition city. In our loose sense of
morality lies our greatest defect. Let
us raise our moral sense, our public
sense of morality, and we Will have
better and purer city.
We are dealing with the outward
manifestation of an inward sin. We
must purify the inward motive and re-
move the outward cause. We must
give men strength within to resist
temptation, and remove the outward
cause of temptation We must increase
the power of resistance and diminish
the power to be resisted. Both means
are useful and should be fostered in
| every legitimate way, but the former
is by far the more important, for only
as we create In men a strong moral
force can we expect them to be proof
against outward evil AS we make
strong the inward man, we may hope
| for large results. That considerable
has been accomplished by the societies
! for the furtherance of temperance. is
but an indication OF what can be done.
| God did not create man to become Il
| brute and give him no means of es-
cape. The question finally resolves it
| self into a practical application of the
/ principle of Christianity. which will
cleanse the drunkard's guilt and dis
which are a nations only secure bull
| seminate the means of righteousness,
| wark''
In the discussion which followed the
| reading Of the paper, every minister
| present participated. DR.. Groeneveld
| spoke for the law and said where the
prohibition law was enacted it was not
! a dead letter, but a success. He re-
| lated the fact that recently he had a
| talk with a lady from the state Of
Maine. She had lived there for IS
years. during which time she had not
seen saloon and did not know what
liquor and drunkenness was. Her first
! knowledge of these things was acquired
! when she came 70 Butte, and what she
| witnessed here was revelation to her.
| DR.. Groeneveld made a strong and in
! teresting talk and was followed by
| others. At the conclusion of the dis
cussions. Chairman Noftsinger asked
what should be done regarding the pa
/ per. De Putron Glidden expressed him
self in opposition to it's publication. He
was afraid it would not have a proper
or desired effect Others. however,
thought there were some good things
in it and a motion was carried that it
be published.
The subject of good citizenship, and
it's reference to the approaching school
and municipal elections, was discussed
and on motion of DIR. Groeneveld res
olution was adopted that all ministers
of the city, especially members of the
ministerial association, preach ser
mon on the subject either next Sun
day or on the Sunday following.
An adjournment was then taken fol-
two weeks.