The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-11-09
FROM Mr.. GRIFFIN.
He Takes Occasion to Explain
His Position.
To the Editor of the State Journal

| To the Editor of the State Journal.
AS your editorial in Saturdays issue
headed albert Griffins Change" has
| made wrong impressions on some minds
| l desire to say:
| 1. did not Suddenly change my
| views on this subject, as your quotation
| shows, nor have I ever taught that
! prohibition was the worlds salvation. :"
| However, although I never regarded it
| is a panacea did, for a long time, be-
| lieve it was doing, and would continue
| to do, much good Indeed, my faith in
| it was so strong that l sacrificed my
! little all in trying to have the liquor
| laws of this and other states improved
| and enforced.
For dozen years, I have not made
| prohibition speech. but have tried, and
tried, and tried again, to persuade 9TH
ers to unite with me in a revival of
work along purely moral suasion lines,
but everywhere prohibitionists have de-
| feated these efforts. AS it is impossi-
BILE to carry a moral suasion'' and
legal suasion' campaign together sue
cessfully, and as moral suasion work
constantly increases the number of
temperance advocates and decreases
the number of saloon supporters, it
seemed clear to me that it was so much
the more important of the two that I
could not longer conscientiously sup
port a policy that put it so far in the
background that it was seldom ever
seen, heard or felt. During all this time
/ could have made a comfortable living
on the platform if I had been willing
to give even a perfunctory support to
prohibition. For some time, still be-
lieved in it an ultimate alma
clinching of the nail, as it were-but a
couple of years or more ago, I became
convinced that the force method Com
pulSiOn) when applied to purely person
al habits not generally regarded as i'm
moral. Is wrong in principle, and must
always, ultimately, do more harm than
good; and l have expressed this convic-
ton freely in the columns of the State
Journal and other newspapers.
2 II rightly understand your
question, Does he think any
system for checking the liquor evil
will do away with moral suasion and
with any other good effort to support
temperance" I answer-unreserved
and emphatically-I do. The principal
reason why [ am now opposed to profi-
bition, is that it has nearly done
away with moral suasion work, and
another strong reason is that it arrays
the drinkers almost solidly against ev-
cry form of effective temperance work.
g. That conditions may not be as bad
in Topeka now as they were under the
license system, admit but it is certain
that they are very much worse now
than they were eight years ago, when I
returned after long absence from the
state.
f. With me the alternative is not
prohibition" or license" 1t is re-
lance on law or love" AS the pagan
method has worked so badly during the
past dozen years and is certain to work
still worse in the future I urge those
temperance advocates that support pro-
hibition solely, or even mainly, because
they really desire to benefit their fellow
men, to themself voluntarily abandon
this pagan method. Although, if they
do this, the first result will be open sa-
looms, and a temporary increase in
drinking, if there is one fourth as much
Christianity in the world as I believe
w ha rp-
viva1 of moral suasion work that will
not stop until dram drinking shall have
become not only unpopular, but posi-
lively disreputable-and, thereafter,
the boys" will be safe. for those that
they look up to will not then lead them
into temptation. The overshadowing
need of the hour is to make it clear to
every drinker that his responsibility is
many times greater than that of his
caterer.
5. To your question would Mr..
Griffin like the old order restored |
answer, No for license is even worse
than prohibition. But I should be re-
joiced if every temperance advocate
would cease to lean upon such broken
reeds as politicians and policemen, spot
ters and spasms of law enforcement,
fines and jails for mere caterers and
would devote themselves entirely to the
Christian method of earnestly, tenderly,
lovingly-but urgently-persuading each
and every man and woman to decide
Il will not hereafter pay anyone to
make or sell liquor; and I will cease
throwing my social influence in favor
of the habit but for which there could
not be either saloons or intemperance'
6. That my little pamphlet contains
arguments that have long been used
by saloon defenders, is true-but they
are none the less sound on that ac-
count. I have repeatedly replied to
them to my own. then. satisfaction
but that was before I knew as much
about the subject as do now. I think
hnx
lists who read it carefully will realize
that it contains some facts, ideas, and
arguments that are new to them-or
are presented in a new Highland are
well worth the small sum asked for it.
I cannot close without saying that
the note on the first page was not in
tended as a reflection on the officers of
the K S. T. y. do not question their