The Somerset reporter., 1899-12-14
The Temperance Problem.

people seem 10 cODsluef IL. IL Is PROP
lem constantly varied by unknown guam
titles that bafiie the keeuest iDtellects.
We hope and believe that the day will
come when wives shall no longer groan
under the burdens of sorrow laid on
them by drunken husbands, when
parents shall no longer mourn over sons
ruined by strong drink and when the
bright promise of youth shall no longer
fail in the beared eyes, the boated face
and the dulled brain OF the sOt.
But hope requires some reasonable
prospect Of fulfillment, or it will die.
Let me then invite attention to some
reasons which we can fairly claim az
sustaining the hope that men and women
will at some time in the future, abandon
the sale and use of alcohol 10 any form
as beverage.
But first, 1t may be well to refer to
hope that only hinders the progress of
true reform. | refer to the childike
hope that intemperance can be abolished
in one or two campaigns, no matter how
earnestly waged. So long as alcohol,
in its many seductive forms, continues
to please and tickle the accustomed
palate, while 1t offers its cruel promise
OF relief TO the burdened and sorrowful
heart; while il is praised as good crea-
ture of God and as thing that is fitted
to promote good fellowship, by respect
able men and popular writers of fiction,
and especially while 1t continues to be
source of wealth to manufacturers and
sellers of it, let no one hope for speedy
end of the liquor traffic. Such hope
will do more harm than good, for it's
certain disappointment will only dis
courage that continued and persistent
Iaff hot L. ftal 70 ha Hno
triumph.
To speak of what is really hopeful,
we begin with the least promising fea-
ture of the struggle, namely, the hope of
securing complete reform by legal sane
ton and authority. We are living in
prohibition State. Our laws are fully
committed to the side of abstinence from
strong drink. But laws do not enforce
themselves. The people are gradually
getting their eyes open to this, and
the spectacle of the successful defiance
of law by a contemplate fraction of the
people will In time arouse their indgna-
ton and lead to effective organization
and action. 1t is admitted that with
selectmep, mayors, marshals, sheritfs and
| Judges determined to make the law re-
| spected, there is law enough TO drive the
| liquor traffic into its vilest coverts, and
even there to stamp it out. Whatever
hope there Is then that good, clean, law
respecting men can be chosen and APP
pointed to enforce the law, and that such
men will sacrifice their business and their
comfort to the paramount interests OF
good government, such hope we may
cherish that the Temperance reform will
| be realized.
Another ground of hope for the ulti-
mate triumph of the Temperance reform
| is found 10 mans moral nature. By this
| mean that there is something in man
that responds to the true and the good,
and it has mighty power over him.
Tie great reforms that have slowly
worked their way In the world, the
abolition of slavery and of the right of
private revenge, the humane treatment
of criminals and of the insane and the
amelioration of the horrors of war have
all won their way thus far with moral
weapons rather than by physical coer-
cion. Our hope for the Temperance re-
form is In the Righteousness of our
cause.
Furthermore, we ground our hope on
change of heart in men, in the power of
Christ's love over all the base passions
of the human heart, and the enlighten-
ing and uplifting power Of the Holy
Spirit in the soul. Mere instruction or
coercion bears no comparison with
new spiritual life and vision of God.
| would not be misunderstood az critics.
ing all prohibitory measures. No doubt
they are necessary, and will be for
long time to come. But while many
Jealous persons are urging extreme legal
and political action as the main hope of
the Temperance reform, and are con-
Meeting it with hazardous expedients for
extending the suffrage, some of us feel
called upon to emphasize the importance
of those means that seem to have been
overlooked, means that have always
been honored by the Holy Spirit.
mean the use of those means that have
achieved the great moral and spiritual
victories that have marked the progress
of Christianity, the patient and persist
ent preaching and illustration of gospel
truth, the keeping before men the en-
nobling teachings and personal example
OF Christ, warning men everywhere to
repent, allurng men OF depraved tastes
and lives to better life. We are in
danger of forgetting the divine method
of reformation, that of leavening the
mass of mankind with truth by a
gradual change wrought in individuals.
We propose to have the kingdom of
heaven come by act OF the legislature.
But it will never come In that way.
We hear of no special agitation of the
Temperance reform by Christ and his
apostles, but we find them teaching and
enforcing lessons of self. denial purity
and brotherly love, which stand as a
perpetual rebuke to the man that seeks
any hurtful indulgence for himself, or
otfends weaker brothers conscience.
And looking back across the centuries,
and seeing the evidences of a divine
method and purposes in the great re-
forms that have been achieved, we
gather hope for the future, and believe
that by similar methods God will con-
tinue to lead men in increasing multi
tudes to better and purer lives.
We might as well get ready for long
pull in this work. 1t will not be finish,
ed Ia this generation, nor in the next.
Let US remember that we have appetite
TO contend with, the social customs OF
all the world, and great money power.
Our strength is in our influence over
our children and neighbors, in the power
of kindness and righteousness and in our
access to the throne of grace.
Our aim is not superficial one. 1t is
not alone the overt act that we seek to
prevent, but the secret thirst and desire
that we wish to quench. These will be
continually breaking out afresh where
we thought them subdued. There is
moi hipo for II hut N pnuin OnrGplVa1 for