The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-03-17
BISHOP POTTER ON THE SALOON.
IN. Y. SUM-

IN. l. sun.
The exclamation of Bishop Potter, in
answer to an inquiry from the Rev. Dr.
Lyman Abbott AS to his exact position on
the LIQUOR saIo on question, is general
only, but so far a. 1t has any precise sub.
stance, it is that th 9 tendencies In society
which give the saloon the reason Tor Its
existence cannot be diverted to higher
direction except by a social transforma-
ton which must be effected by the
"favored classes" that is, by the richer
members of society. Exa city whas tnae
Transformation should BE-, the Bis hop
does not explain.
"The mischief of the salool,,," however
Is as great proportionately among the
"more Fortunate as among the "less
favored" in the Bishops "a timation,
which is totally at variance with the e.
timation of the Gospel of Chris\ Inc
saloons with the most profitable psstron-
age are not for the poor, but for the rlcn
actually and comparatively. and the poor
are debarred from them almost wholly ~
their scale of charges. The chief stimu-
lus to the temperance movemnt which
began in the earlier days of THIS century
was not the ravagee of drink among the
poor. according to the distinction In the
mind of Bishop Potter, but among peo-
pie wholly removed from poverty. Inc
movement made rapid progress IN Protss-
tant Churches, in which "the poor" rs
we describe them specifically, were very
few. The agitation arose in social con-
dition in which prevailed the average of
material comfort described by Bishop
Potter as the "more Fortunate" and Its
greatest activity is still there. 1t Is be-
cause the evils of drink, wasting the sub
stance of families and destroying the
moral and hysical fibre of men young
and old, have been brought home TO
these relatively prosperous people that
there has grown up in many OF them .
great hatred of this saloon Is curse to
the community-as an enemy which
either has brought sorrow and suffering
to their own homes or threatens to bring
them in the future.
When, therefore, Bishop Potter assails
the people who are In favor of the prohi-
bition of tbs liquor traffic as "hypoc
critics. and denounces The "prohibit,on
system" as "grotesque hypocrisy, he
uses language which is both un1ustined
by the facts and contrary to the Christian
spirit The sentiment In flavor OF prohi.
bition, SO far as it expresses itself
through distinct political party, may
truly be called .shortsighted. narrow
minded and impractioable, but there Is
nothing hypocr1tical about IL even there
1t subordinates everything else. no matter
how important in politics. to single
fdea and eievates a theory which has not
proved successful in practice to An abso-
lutely demonstrated law, but those who
believe in it SO firmly and SO mistakenly,
IN our view, are not humbugs. In this
State and in other States, moreover, the
al Ia IF h Is 90
nized that towns are permitted to vote
whether the liquor traffic shall be con-
Quoted in them, and generally the theory
and practice of legislation have oeen that
the business is of dangerous character,
which iustiues and requires its special re-
straint and regulation by law. Great
churches, in which are included the
majority of religious believers IN this
country, have expressed the sentiment
Bishop Potter speaks of so contemptuous.
~. He derides an earnest conviction OF
communions far larger than his own.
The assumption of the Bishop that the
evil of intemperance is consequence of
some defect in our present social struc-
ture " becauhe of which there are 'fAv.
ored classes or rich people, 'and "less
favored BRETHREN" or poor people, has no
n ore justification in fact. Proportionate-
", excessive drinking is as frequent in
the social circles of the Favored classes"
as in the districts inhabited by the poor;
it is questionable ii 10 Is not more fire.
que mt there. Drunkenness is confined to
no single condition. but extends to all
impartally. Relatively. there is as much
of 1t in the Fifth avenue as in the Bow
cry, in the rich and fashionable clubs rs
in the grogshops patronized by the poor;
Appalling instances OF moral ana physical
wreck and ruin wrought by the maina for
drink are as frequent propoItionately in
rich households as in those OF the poor.
The evil is thus proved to be without
,ause in The social differences and dis
tinotions upon which Bishop Potter lays
30 much stress. Philanthropic effort for
the Improvement OF the condition OF the
poor after the fashion he suggests would
be without efficacy to remedy the evil.
Increase of material comfort does not
Imply decrease of drinking anywhere, as
experience the world over has demon
strated. Accordingly, when Bishop Potter
speaks Of the endeavors.of wiser men and
women to better the condition, the homes
the domestic life. the recreations Of their
l.ss favored brethren, might not the
''less favored ..reply by suggesting the
necessity for Improvement on the other
siie also? Might they not ask II they are