The Portland daily press., 1899-04-20
UNMARRIED, ETERNAL vIal
LANCE.

weaken the educative methods that alone
are formative OF character. The efficient
principle OF temperance, rs Of every
virtue, must be nurtured within the man
and not put upon him from without
That depending upon law, we shall lose
while we think we gain.
The oft repeated claim that Maine be-
came temperate community by means
Of the prohibitory law Is fiction. The
Maine law was a result, and not q cause !
A result OF work already done which pro-
duced the majority that passed 10.
Then followed the period OF near hfty
years Of the coercive energy OF law as the
chief dependence; with a free Held backed
by a decisive majority OF votes. even TO
amending the Constitution and augment
ing the pressure of restriction and penal
ty, with the passionate assurance that
the thing Is working well. only we have
not quite enough OF 1t. have counted
forty acts amendatory oil that law OF %.
Hard TO admit the unwelcome suggestion
that the trouble might be In the thing
itself.
The cause Of temperance Is retrograd-
ing. 1t is replied, 'The fault Is not In the
law, hut in the fearful official corruption
and civic rottsnness but this answers
no questions. 1t only raises some. May
there be somewhat about this law that
opens door Of temptation, and munich
| pal defilementp is, or Is not law insult
ed to accomplish reform In virtue and
religion? 1t has its appropriate sphere,
indeed, but 10 1t not rather circum-
| scribed and indefinite one, more likely to
overreach its bounds in u free government
than otherwise? One of New England's
most acute and cultured ethical instruc-
tors, william Ellery Charming. uttered
his solemn warning to the people of this
country on this very ground, that our In
| situations, and success as u nation are
endangered by a tendency to depend over
much upon statute law. He pointed out
the drift toward 1t, and urged Intelligent
and watchful solicitude. He was
prophet. 1t is not the province OF law TO
| reform mankind.
| God did not engrave those tables OF the
| dscalogue to work o moral reformation.
He simply announced the claim of recti-
tude ION the negative side. To convict
| rather than to convert. For this renewal
and culture along the lines of an ampler
life we turn 10 the New Dispensation.
which writes the law, not on marble or
parchment In negatives, outside the man.
but on the Utmost tables of the hea TT; in
positive impulse and motive and activity.
| 1t transforms by attractive influences,
| helpful tuition. Il does not discard the
tables; but holds them at their true value
| and use. The law Is our schoolmaster,-
| our DtUdSOROS, Cnliu-lohucT, tIudhb
bring us to Christ and into his school for
| genuine moral culture.
| While sreak thus of moral culture and
| moralintiuence and moral reform, permit
| me to justify my intelligence. by saying
| that / am fully aware of the low plane
on which we proceed in this discuss on.
The condition we review Is not entirely
due to moral obliquiiy in the relations
men sustain toward themselves and
toward each other. but primarily toward
| God. Ungodliness Is the supreme, I'M
derlying. overshadowing perversion, and
guilt of mankind. set that right, and
everything else will come right. The per-
right, and that left out. with all your
moralities, and righteousness, civic
| and otherwise, there Is nothing but
partial and evanescent gain. There is the
| trouble with liberal Christianity, SO called
with its new departures, Inc genuine
morality and reform must include -Godli-
ness. Rather must spring from 1T.
To resume: We note
The INADEQUACY OF THE MAINE
| LAW
| in that Ii was framed on the assumption
that the drink habit is misfortune to be
| pitied, while the selling Of intoxicsnts to
voluntary applicants is the sin of sins,
and the gigantic crime OF crimes, for
which no penalty too severe can be de
yised. A defect tending to unship moral
distinctions seldom paralleled in morals
or legislation. An opiate ministered 30
| the con SC Iencs OF the drunkard, already
| fearfully debauched; while a feeling of
| injustice is excited In the mind OF the
seller and his sympathizers. The ordinary
sense of fair dealing is disturbed-conilict'
ing doubts arise. 1t Goes not promote the
ends of ethical culture
| One OF our Maine fishermen called on
| the Seamen's chaplain for aid to get to
his home. 1t was suggested to him that
he had abused himself with drink. u
| will tell the truth. / did take some. :"
"WelI, would it be the fair thing to go to
the man who supplied the drink and get
help from him" ''Why. l don't look at
it that way. he wasn't 10 blame. He
never asked me to drink. l asked him. !"
| There is a nutshell of logic
On the ad vent of the law, 1t was not
| long before the fertile brains of those to
whom Its execution WAS intrusted OWNED
| that, besides its intrinsic merits, the law
unfoided priceless possibilities OF political
| influence and personal wealth. The temp
| tation was too strong. 1t rivalied the
| temptation to drink, and the temptation
to sell. We doubt If there was ever a
| statute inscribed among our laws which
presented stronger seductions-s so
sure to kill. From first to last it has been
a history OF corruption. The average
man bends like q iced before its oppor-
| tunities.
Moreover, in this stepping out on the
! authority of law, we have greatly under
estimated our antagonists: the two master
passions of our fallen human nature.
Viz The impulse toward sslf-gratiica-
tion, especially i'll the desire for the slim
ulants; and the passion for gain. For
stimulants. in conditions where climate
and eaacting demands on vital forcs are
unusually predisposing, in many cases
oyermastering. Passion for gain, where
social standing requires large means;
where not to have money is to be very
much an outcast, and the motto Is /;
LIVERY man for himself and the Devil
take the hindmost." In a state of society
| ana lie like this. 1t will take moro than
a written mandate to hold men. You
need the deep principle of Inbred virtue.
or they will tear up your parchment, or
vitiate its contents. or bribe its indifer
enoe No, it is not the province OF law
to conduct TO triumphant conclusion a
great reform against such incentives to
transgression SO widely shared.
Yet more: Years ago l met one of our