Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1903-05-07
w. c. T. U. COLUMN.
For Cod, HOME and Native Land.
This department is under the lnanag ement
and control of the Bedding W G. r. L i

1t is found from an accurate study of
statistics, that ninety-one per cent
Of the crime and pauperism of the
State comes direct from the use Of
intoxicating drinks. The only argu-
ment that can be urged to-day
against prohibition is that OF ex-
pediency. The time has passed
when any intelligent man can seri-
ously question the right of a COM
munity to protect its members
against such dire evils as result from
the use OF intoxicating drinks. Lib
erty is constantly restrained where
its exercise may be used by any to
his neighbor' detriment, or his own
injury. A man cannot build a
dwelling house on his own land, and
for his own use, until the proper de-
par ment has certified that his plans
are safe for his neighbors, and
healthful for his own indwelling.
A family living contenedly under
ground, with insufficient light and
air, are expelled from their home, and
the cellar is closed, regardless Of the
complaint of landlord and tenant.
No other evil is so productive OF
injury TO the community as this
curse OF alcohol; yet almost any
other NAV be legislated against il
this is let alone. We punish with
reler tless severity the poor drunk
en- wretch who violates the law,
though we know that the crime was
committed when the supplying and
poisonous draught had deprived him
entirely Of that sense of right and
wrong, which lies at the very founda.
tion of moral responsibility. We
punish the drunken criminal, not
for the tipping which led to his in
sanity and crime, but for the crimes
that ne would never have committed
in his sober senses; and then we re-
new the license OF the rum-seller
whose liquor has crazed him; so that
when his term of punishment has
expired be may again be subjected
to the same temptation, and society
again suffers from his evil-doing.
Against every other danger we may
protect ourselves without the cry of
fanaticism," or danger to private
rights" The officers OF the law 90
into our most private apartments
to searchS for sewer-gas, or some
source of i'll health, that may work
harm to a few occupants of the
house. and pass by the licensed shop
that corrupts neighborhood and
ruins bodies and souls. We compel
the fencing in Of an area, lest some
unwarv passer-by or some child may
fall into it; and allow the saloon
man his public bar room, where be
may display his decanters, and his
free lunch to entice our young men
into the broad road which leads TO
drunkenness and death. We enter
by force if needs be, and take away
sick children from their parents
care to public hospital, and disin
feet houses where there has been
contagious disease. We break up
gambling bells, and policy-shops,
and disorderly houses, because they
are detrimental to the morals of the
community. But there is no con
tagion more deadly, no gas more
pernicious, no allurement to vice so
potent as this curse of bar-room
drinking. Where gambling ruins
one fortune, rum ruins many; and
no other vice is so thoroughly de-
structive Of all manliness as rum
can be. What vice or weakness can
we name that leads TO crime as this
does? What vice or misery can we
name to which the first glass may
not lead? Look at the squandered
fortunes, the imbecile minds, the
ruined bones, the blighted lives,
the broken hearts See in how
many families of your own friends
the curse comes, striking the bright
est and best; see the poverty, the
ruin, the crime, and the vast multi
tudes going on in never ending sue.
cession to fill drunkards' graves; and
then see the community looping of
little branches of evil, and letting
the giant tree Of evil stand 10 scat
ter its baleful seeds
We ask you, intelligent reader, if
such course of conduct is worthy
Of a Christian or even a civilized
people2 Is it not clearly our duty
to protect the young and the weak
from such a degrading evil as the
sin Of indulging in Intoxicating
drinks?