The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1899-12-08
Plea for Prohibition

was LFulSill, IN HOW uuu SNCi WAL DS
till time shall be no more.
That the rum traffic of today is the
great enemy Of the human race admits
OF no successful argument. The might
lest forces in the universe are moral in
their nature, otherwise the evil forces OF
the rum traffic would engulf the human
race. So, Mr.. Editor, our motto is and
ever shall be, Prohibition. We are OPP
posed to any form or grade OF license to
vend or sell alcoholic beverages, and can
maintain that the present law, or any
law legalizing the same, is disgrace to
American civilization. II is the govern
ment that makes laws, but the people
make the government II has no exist
ence aside from the people, is not
thing that lives and acts independently
and Of itself. Mr.. Editor, you and l. in
connection with every other citizen, are
simply factors of this government, and
the government is simply what the peo-
pie make it.
Who then is responsible for the pres
ent ruinous liquor tratiic2 We answer,
not the saloon keeper but the people.
The whole license system, from begin
ming to end, is radically wrong, an out
rage on humanity, burning shame and
a disgrace to all civilization. If whisky
drinking and the barter and sale OF al
coholic poison are right, why restrict it
by statuteP Who ever heard Of law
being enacted in q civilized and Christian
nation to restrict the free exercise OF the
right? Law is made to suppress the
wrong, not the right. If the whisky
traffic is right, what authority has the
law to step in and restrict itP Why not
encourage the sale of it, for one man
has the same inherent right as anotherY
Why not sell it same as dry goods, gro
ceries and hardware? The government
realizes the fact that such a system
would be ruinous in its effects, and
therefore the restrictions. Hence the
party only who pays a certain amount
for the privilege, together with bond
requiring certain restrictions, is allowed
to engage in the infamous traffic. Ii
right, why restrict it? If wrong, why
| license it2 No legislation can make
wrong right. The inherent principles OF
right or wrong are eternal. Why then,
allow me to inquire, does our govern
ment legalize and license wrong by stat
ute, permitting her subjects by law tc
undermine and destroy every solid prin-
ciple on which good society and good
government are founded? From the
same standpoint why not legalize rob.
berry and license cut-throats to ransack
and plundor indiscriminately? In short
to license q saloon keeper to yend hii
poisonous traffic is outrage upon out
rage, TO rob man of his manhood, tC
drive the spirit of action from his brain
to rob life of all its noble affections, and
last, but not least, the soul OF its great
est and future happiness and immortal
ity. License to I'LL jails and peniten
tiaries, insane asylums, criminal courts
to break the hearts OF loving wives anC
mothers; to rob home OF all its sacred
affections to turn love into hatred. ii
cense to clothe innocent children witt
disgrace and rags, to crush out of thei
young hearts every hope of life and hap
piness for time and eternity.
What is the remedy? 1t rests in tht
will OF the people. Contact law witt
law. Moral suasion is good as far as i
goes, but it has been failure to pr
open the sealed consciences of the ma
ton, and with the lever of moral sua
sion it is like a short chain anchor, i
fails to touch bottom. Now, what w
want and must have is authority from
the powers that be, and then say to tn
manufacturers, Stop! make no more
Drunkenness cannot be remedied unles
the temptation is removed.
OF what advantage are saloon keeper
to society? Do they, by their sinfu
traffic, contribute in any measure to it
well being? Do they increase the wealtl
of any community by their infamou
business or tend to elevate the moral
Christian standard? Who ever heard c
saloon keepers Christian association
or works of charity maintained, or
whisky ring sending abroad Christia
missionaries or encouraging Christianit
at home? Did whisky ever found
church, erect an asylum, found colleg
J or build school? In short, what hav
! they done, either with low or high j
cense, to advance good morals, good law
or good government?
, The momentous question is, How ma
we manage the present generation {
drunkards and still protect the youth {
} our land? Not by the high license syi
tenn, but by wise legislation. Enact
/ stringent prohibitory liquor law an
thereby wipe out all license laws an
the saloon business, wholesale and re
/ tail. The case is a desperate one an
requires prompt and desperate rem
edy. In the bygone we have slumbere
, and slept rs nation until we have b,
! come we'll nigh paralyzed in relation
this great national evil. 1t is high tim
I that we as a nation should arise and {
forth in the majesty of our strength fl
prohibition, and thus meet and destro
the demon, for God is with the right.
No license or folding of hands viii
t one hundred thousand OF our countr,
men are filling drunkards' graves al
h nually, and four times that number
i our women and children are reduced
! want, beggary ard disgrace. The r
. turns OF the national revenue depar
ment show in our own loved free Anne
lea 6,400 .distilleries, $500 brewerie
!, and 375,0 900 saloons. Then, with the
= fearful statistics before US, let evel
: voice cry out, Down with the licen
i system! And let every lover of his RAJ
: cry out, Prohibition! Prohibition! unt
n the accursed ruin OF our race is banishe
from our land, And once for all Il
l. God and home and native land.
= w. P. WATSON.