The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-10-24

l iiulllDSI IS growing 80 IL IS dlSO III tuS other denominations, not excepting
 even the Established church. But in
 England man may be classed as a ] temperance man" and still be mod
 crate drinker. He may not himself
 sign the pledge, yet may sanction
 heartily crusade to get others to sign
 it. Many of this kind are undoubtedly
 giving their indorsement to the great
 movement now on foot for getting a
 million new pledges by the end of this l first year of the century This Is real | ly notable undertaking, and the specific object of it as fully illustrates
 the difference between England and America as the other facts noted. In the United States the efforts of tenn
 perance reformers are chiefly directed against the traffic; here the effort is toward personal reformation. The
 most hopeful of temperance enthusiasts
 will admit that for long years to come | there will be no chance in England for prohibition or for any worthy measure
 of local option. The traffic Is bound to 90 on here much as 1t has been doing. It will be modified and further restrict ed, no doubt. Progress on these lines is in fact already going forward. But
 at this stage of the game itawould be
 as idle to talk in England of abolishing
 drinking places in toto as it would be
 to inaugurate crusade for wlping
 bakeshops and groceries out of exist
 ence.
 What are known here as the Free
 Churches, embrace Baptists, Congrega-
 tionalists, Presbyterians, Methodists,
 and others, appear to be unit in this
 movement to get million people to
 sign the pledge. To lead them in this
 effort they have drafted into service
 pr J. Q. A. Henry, Secretary of the
 Anti-Saloon League of New York. pr.
 Henry is at present holding great meet
 ings in London, and will later make
 tour of the provinces. He is ably help
 ed in drawing and holding the crowd
 by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, another. American combinat ton. How little these
 dear English cousins of ours can do
 without American enterprise to lead
 them. Whether the problem be the great one of getting million people
 pledged to teetotalsm, or the trifirg one o fbiuding an underground electric
 railway it's all the same. An Ameri- can must show them how to do it. It would not surprise me bit if, before this is read. the British Government had asked the loan of one of our Gen. erals for the supreme command in South Africa. Will they ever end that war unless we show them how? But it was of the temperance war I was writ ing, and that crusade. we are told, is to be short and decisive. If public meetings fail to bring the new million of pledged abstainers, there will be house to house canvass for them throughout the whole of England.
 This movement has In view as it's iin- mediate object the reformation of in- dividual drinkers, but concurrently with this reform, though in no way part of it. there are two movements on foot for the reform of the places where drink is sold One of these is the gradual introduction, under powerful patronage and with ample financial backing, of the main features of the Gothenburg system. This movement is gaining such headway and promises such good results that one cannot pos slbly describe it in a paragraph; it will be treated as it deserves only when a full letter shall be given to 1t. But the other of these two reform move ments Is working just as surely in the direction of less drinking and up to this time has been even more fruitful of practical results. The main actors in this reform are the magistrates, in !, whose hands is the licensing power. Relief from this quarter was not thought possible a few years ago. With | ] monotony that was dreadfully exas- to those who felt that a limit | ought tc be put upon the multiplication | 1f Public Houses, these functionaries | used to go steadily forward year by | year. renewing old licenses and grant Ing new ones, against the most power ful protests, and often, as it seemed, | n opposition to what the law laid down IS their duty But different times, diff 'erent men, and the magistrates of | England are a different class to-day | md are showing, in their annual over- hauling of drink licenses, that they | nave a growing sense of responsibility. In the big towns new licenses are sranted now with extreme caution, and id ones have nothing like the security if tenure they formerly had |
 This licensing business is done at what are called the Brewster Sessions. md the Brewster Sessions are now be- ng held Many of them are over, and lot a few have done excellent work in the number of Public Houses. Liverpool and Manchester will each ! hereafter have about fifty less than and there is excellent prom ss that before long Birmingham will lave hundred less. The total number which Justices of the Peace refused to enew last year was 216 and the re- usals this year bid fair to far exceed hat number. Unfortunately 1t Is pos- ible to appeal against these refusals nd still more unfortunate Is 1t that he appeal is passed upon by those less amiliar than the local magistrates rith the local situation Often there ore the decision of the local tribunal ! reversed. This is one point at which here is urgent need for further legis- stion. Scores of magistrates have ex- ressed the sensible opinion that they ught to be accorded full power in the natter. They are not temperate fanat- ,s. but working in harmony with the ,cal police they find out what they hink is a reasonable number of Public Iouses for a particular neighborhood, nd then, by wedding out those which ,a,.+ caS,1aot l11a thox conk |