The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-02-15
License or No License.

statements made about the liquor
traffic which are highly inflated and
are of very fictitious value. Herein
is found what / would call capital
weakness on the part Of prohibition
lists everywhere. Falsehood and ex-
| aggeration is serious detriment to
the success of any cause. Truth is
infinitely stronger by itself than in
company with any misrepresentation
be it ever so trifiing or insignificant.
This hulabaloo" about the in
temperance of the American people
is in great part simply moonshine.
The people of this country, no matter
whatever else they may be, are most
certainly not given to intemperance O.,
and whoever says they are or insin-
yates they are grossly ISLANDERS them.
The American people are sober and
Industrious people. We do not in
this city lay claim to any particular
saintship or deviltry not found else
where. We are about like the peo-
pie in any other city in this country
But think we can each maintain
| that we have not here in Oskaloosa
two per cent drunkards. Now it APP.
pears to me if the ministers of this
city would discharge their duty
properly cannot see how their zeal
would have half work in the success
Ell 80 fhnnn 20 Inc hrs
ates. In fact, to bring these into
the fold would seem to be only child's
play. This apparent ministerial de-
fciency, however, only applies to
myself and the ministers of the
Friends denomination, for we only
are here long enough to show what
ly new hands lately come amongst
US; but judging from their first sue
cessful efforts in attacking the large
army of the unconverted, we must
soon have here the model city OF the
United States. / hope sincerely be-
fore abating their fervor they will
faluten" sinners also, and make them
come down from their high perch Of
infdelity and enroll their names upon
some church calendar. 1t is here
will be found the real tug of war, and
their young and warm ministerial
blood will meet foemen worthy
of their steel. The fight on the
liquor traffic would be nothing COM
pared to this.
But it can hardly be considered
very commendable to the high calling
of the ergy to be always looking to
the legislature for the passage of
law hat will handcuff the sinner and
thus force him into heaven, the min
lister simply being spectator to the
proceeding. This may gladden. the
eyes of the preacher, but do not see
in the transaction where his share of
the glory comes in.
No doubt, the improper use of
liquor has made great deal of I'M
happiness in the world. But surely
liquor sellers are not to be blamed
for other mems misuse of that which
is in itself good. / believe they are
not chargeable with ever urging men
to come into their business places for
the purpose of selling them drink.
On the contrary, [ believe there is
not man in the liquor traffic in this
city who wishes to see any man drunk
or who desires to sell such one
liquor Of any kind. If there is any
such liquor dealer do not see why
he cannot be easily found out and
punished accordingly. But the real
transgressor is the man who drinks
liquor to an excess, and it is he who
should first be punished and punish
ed severely. If the prohibitionists
commenced with him we would have
a great deal less to complain of in the
sale of liquor.
The improper use of liquor ia not
at all the chief evil of our times or
any other time or age. The best and
sweetest principle which God has
planted in the human heart is that.
the improper use of which, has filed
the world and is filling it every day
with untold miseries. That is the
principle of love. The improper use
of this principle has wrecked more
homes than any other evil. For ex-
ample, the improper love Of women
is blighting not only the lives of
hundreds of thousands of our citi-
zens but is sapping the very founda-
ton Of the nation itself. 1t is the
vice which called down from heaven
special punishments upon those
guilty of it. believe it is the chief
evil of this city.
Again who does not see what we
are fast fastening to in this country
by the inordinate love of power. Wit
ness the Kentucky assassination,
which has disgraced the nation, and
which before this gets into print, may
precipitate part of the country in
civil war. Here are facts for the pro-
hibitionists to seriously consider and
before wasting any of their reforma-
tory energies on small evils, they
would do we'll to first set about curing
those that are threatening our very
existence as nation.
In conclusion l would think that
the revenue derived from the license
fee ought not to figure very much in
the present controversy. If the sale
of liquor is legitimate then the money
derived from it is legitimate. If the
cole 20 not lau;fir, OTTO tho, Il 10 ,vrono