The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-05-03
The Saloon Yet with Us.
EDITORS HERALD:

| 1T simply doesn't look well, or ii may
come to a small fine When drinking is
encouraged by the public signature of
eminent citizens, why should not the
poor fellows with depraved appetites get
drunk? Come now, and let us reason
| together
1t is a time for reflection. This cam
| paign may or may not, be ended but il
is certain that the war is not over; it is
| ever on and must be waged to the end
| A custom, be it commercial social or re-
| ligious, that yields so much sin, suffer
| ing and sorrow, must ever ferment So
ciety and foment strife, until it is rooted
out, whether it require ten or forty
years. Let those who have hoped to end
the evil with the issue of single cam
paign remember, that a moral conflict
can never end, and that their responsible
ity cannot cease until the truth come
forth unto victory.
The Citizens Movement is not cele-
brating victory, certainly; neither is it
mourning a defeat 1t has had no sell
fish interests to serve, only sacrifices to
make for the common good of their fell
low-citizens, for the greatest good of all,
which is both Christian and republican
principle it is the very essence of democ-
racy.
Hence the Citizens Movement has
fought the battle in open field. 1t has
concealed no purpose it has publicly pro-
claimed its principles; it has INDUCED in
no personal abuse; it has sought to re-
spect those who honestly, though mex
cusably, favor the saloon, while it has
condemned the liquor traffic in every
form as accursed and only evil contin-
TALLY. 1t has invited all to attend its
mass meetings" that every sincere per-
son might contribute his best thought to
the welfare of all, might participate in
the solution Of the problem that per-
pleXes every sober-minded citizen. How
Numerically opposed are these charac-
teristics to the methods of the saloon
let every thoughtful person reflect We
believe that only light can reveal the
truth in every cause.
THE PRINCIPLES INVOLVED
The principles of the Citizens Move
ment and of all genuine prohibitionists
are the same:
I. They are based on the laws of the
Kingdom of Righteousness written upon
every human heart Therein is proph-
esied the gospel of God to all men.
They are also in all imperfect society,"
based upon sacrifice; and therefore in
volve suffering with those who suffer
In accordance with this all good govern
ment is intended to enlighten the ignor-
ant and to maintain the rights of the
weak against the aggressions of the
strong, until. by the help of God and the
courage of sound conviction. man shall
stand steadfast in the liberty of free
spirits.
?. God has sent light and law to con-
denim the wicked and every evil way,
while he has manifested his love in the
suffering Savior TO bring men out of all
unrighteousness. Herein he has taught
every one living in the light of Chris
tian civilization to condemn every form
Of evil, to separate himself from it, to
seek, honestly. every effective means to
remove it from among men, and to sac
rifce ones own interests for others
good, to feel sin-sick even with the sim
full who may not feel sick Of sin. Think
only Of Christ a minute! What should
the Christian be? Think of Paul alb
staining from, and withstanding, too. the
stumbling block in the way of any broth
er-man, while he aroused all to be men.
No sincere person who believes Christ, or
the true Christian, can favor the Liquor
traffic or advocate the open saloon Can
any true man ask Gods blessing upon
that business?
3. Such is the law of God, such are
more and more coming to be the laws of
an enlightened country. According to
the Constitution and laws of this Repub-
lie, and most Of the states, as interpreted
by legislatures and supreme courts, the
present day liquor traffic and the licensed
saloon are without moral or legal rights,
and liquor dealers, and in particular sa-
loon-keepers, as such, can therefore
claim no rights" whatever in any state
or community. They have rights as Cit
liens, but as liquor-dealers they have
only such privileges" as are allowed
them by a suffering people, ignorant OF
citizens rights or too morally weak TO
maintain them If the saloon people
and all their advocates, as well as the
anti-saloon people, shall henceforth un-
derstand these facts and principles, this
temperance campaign will not have been
in vain, and this continued war will the
sooner have been waged and purity,
peace and prosperity prevail.
4. The legal, as we'll as the moral,
standing of even the licensed saloon is
law, and it must henceforth be so regard
ed Our fathers and grandfathers who
sold liquors were not all bad men. But
like the law of God. the law of the land,
even the license law. condemns the pres
ent-day saloon utterly and hopelessly,
and there is no more excuse for intelli-
gent people to defend it. As to the ad-
vocate of the saloon of today the French
maxim tells the truth, 'He that excuses
himself accuses himself" The word
license has hitherto been wrongly de-
fined on all hands-eXCept by the Bible,
the legislatures and the courts. Most of
us have thought that licensed meant
legalized; but in Bible enlightened
lands it has been restricted by the
legislatures and courts till it means about
this, let run; that is, let run, if the peo-
pie will have vice, and even then only
with extreme legal restrictions. Who
would give TN the Bible? Who would
do away with the churches? Who would
forbid benevolent brotherhoods? These,
so far as they are true to their profess
sionS, are against all that Injuries fellow
men. 1t is sad that there are exceptions.
But if you will not hear God. and Bible.
and church, and preacher, turn to your
license law and honestly ask yourself,
What is the character of the saloon
There you will see it through the eyes
of the legislator in nearly every state as
the Mammon of Unrighteousness per-
soniied, the enemy of society that should
be cast out. a demon that Economies men.