Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-02-15
10 MCDILL'S MUSINGS.
PROHIBITION.

prospects for Office. A liquor man never for.
gives an anti-liquor man, and it is presumed
that liquor mans hostility will extend down
to the third and fourth generations. 1t is also
presumed that the Office mania will eventually
become universal AS to who will be in the
majority upon the prohibition question in the
future is not yet determined, viewed from sur
face indications. If prayers and talk could be
taken as conclusive evidence, then prohibition
would surely be on top. If the action of our
officers be taken as conclusive evidence, then
liquor is on top. Most any dull person may
perceive that prayers and talk never shut up
joint nor lessen the profits of bar. The liquor
men have no fears OF prayers and talk-ust
contempt
The persons whom the liquor men fear are
people of action. Usually an office-holder in
Kansas is not man of action if in action there
is danger of losing votes. The Office holder
who moves upon saloon knows beforehand, to
a certainty, that, i'll so doing, he will lose every
liquor vote in any future race within The domain
of the office he holds or seeks.
The liquor man does no praying, and is not
loud ta,ker, but he is the very Devil in action.
The anti-liquor man exhausts his modicum of
hostility in loud prayers and bombastic har-
rangues, after which he and the liquor man
vote the same ticket.
The office-hoder and office seeker also fears
the men Of action, and, no doubt, down in his
boots, he also has large store of contempt for
long prayers and loud talk. am not abusing
the praying man for praying, but for not acting
along the line of his prayers | am not abus-
ing the olficeholder for seeking Office, but be-
cause he so seldom has any principles.
arraign the liquor man because, first, he is
law breaker. hold that no good citizen can
continually and persistently break any law,
even though it be bad law. Citizens, good
and bad, may differ 10 what the law should
be, but good citizens never differ as to the en-
forcement of law. 10 admit that any citizen
may violate law because he does not believe
the law just or practicable would lead to tn,
overthrow of all law. The principle is wholly
wrong. When | say that man is bad citi
zen, mean that his badness is proportioned to
the degree of his failure to obey law.
In the selling of liquor contrary to law there
are extenuating ircuinstances-proft and pub
lie sentiment invite illegal traffic, and, after
once embarked in, the Office holder condones
and upholds. There are no extenuating cir.
cunistances for the office holder or the man of
loud prayers and big talk.
In the second place, | condemn the liquor
traffic because it is wrong. shall not take up
the religious aspect of the wrong, but assume
that it is without question that any true disci
pie of Christ will not drink intoxcants for The
peasurable effects. From the standpoint of
health, physicians differ with the weight of
evidence in favor of total abstinence.
attack the liquor traffic from the Socialistic
point of view Does the liquor traffic advance
our civilization? Does it add TO he wellbeing
and permanent happ ness OF the men who
drink? Are the influences of the saloon up.
lifting? Is the drinking of intoxicants an aid
to the development and advancement of our
race, either morally, mentally or physically?
AS man not seeking an office, am bound
to answer all these questions in the negative,
and if the saloon is not for us, it is against u.s.
If the liquor traffic does not advance civiliza
ton, it binders. If the individual in drink
ing, does not acquire permanent happiness, thti
drinking is detrimental If the influences of
the saloon are not refining, they are the reverse.
1t will be accepted without dispute that
large per cent of crime and pauperismis direct
ly traceable to drinking and drunkenness.
Indirectly, he saloon inActs great injury
upon all the members of society, and, in so far
as it is productive of crime and paupersm, it is
a foe to the advancement of civilization.
Alcohol is not creative in lis effects either
mentally or physically. On the contrary, the