The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-25
A Word OF Warning,
Editor Of The Times:

l.
Sir.-The Anti-Saloon League claims to
be non-political and undenominational-in
fact, it is not even a religious movement.
1t welcomes all creeds, and is not COM
mitted to any course Of action. Its
avowed object is simply to fight the
cursed liquor traffic. 1t was refreshing,
indeed, 1T the convention recently held
in this city to observe the unity Of en-
thusasm and conservatism That ,pervaded
the body. Conservatism is desirable and
necessary to the permanent success OF
any undertaking. A gentleman. who had
been familiar wit hthe league in another
State, recently warned me against 1t, say
ing 1t was doomed to failure. I replied
that it's failure in one State did not neces-
sarily show that the league was at fault.
do not believe that we will allow the
enterprise to collapse. Virginians are
made of sterner stuff Yet, when read
in a North Carolina weekly the following,
l am constrained to sound O note of
warning:
~ number of citizens from several sec
tons OF the State and Representatives of
four or more religious denominations met
in Raleigh last week and agreed to re-
new the war upon the saloon under a
banner that--bearing the motto The Sa-
loon Must Co.'s broad enough to draw
to its support all who would exterminate
this greatest of enemies Of human right
eousncss and welfare, whether they sup
port the expedient of dispensary or stand
outright tor direct and utter extinction
Of the traffic"
There is death in the pot
There is an old legend that as Noah was
leading the beasts into the Ark, the devil
caught hold of the ASS tail and lmpeded
his progress. Noah. seeing the ass lag
ging, cried out: .'Corae into the Ark, thou
evil one" Later, seeing the devil inside,
he inquired how he came in.
Upon your own invitation replied the
DEVIL .'you said, Come in, thou evil one,
and L am hen'
Let us not make our invitation so broad
that the devil himself may get in. Let
lis have none under our banner but those
who are in earnest.
The worst enemy q cause can have is
the half-lleartol, halfway supporter. ~
halfway reform is worse than no reform
at all. a drunken nation, or State, or
community is like a drunken man. You
can't make a moderate drinker of 1t. AS
total abstinence is the only safety Of the
one, so absolute prohibition is the only
hope of the other
DIR. Hawthorne, in his splendid address,
said the liquor traffic is a crime and can
no more be regulated by law than can
murder or theft or gambling. 1t must
be prohibited.
The result of a compromise. such as the
dispensary law, would be to disgust many
who are now supporting the work. Many
would say: See, told you so. Proh!bl-
tion's a. failure" That is what they would
say if law passed to the effect that no
one should imbibe more than half a hogs
head of any but the best grade OF WINS
kew twice in the same tWenty-four hours,
failed to bring about a milenial state OF
sobriety.
1 have never voted any but the Prohibi-
ton ticket, but il the same end can be
attained, as we'll or better by the league,
by all means let us work in the league
and leave politics to the settlement OF
other and less important questions, in
which, however, every truly patriotic
citizen is interested.
But if our league is composed OF a con-
slomorate mass Of every shade Of opinion
on this subject, from the National,
hatchet-armed extremist to the lndlfer-
ent moderate drinker-one calling for open
war, another for politics, another Tor To-
cal option another for dispensary law,
another for moral suasion-the league
will have to spend too much time and
effort in reconciling fits internal elements
to exert any great influence on the out
side public.
Let us stand for something and stand
up for that something. Let us know what
we are doing and do it.
When once we shall have seen prohibit
ton in effect, there will be hardly hui
man being Of such sublime propensities as
to be willing tc return to his Wallowing
in the mire.
JOHN MONCURE, JR
Richmond, Va, Feb. 49,