Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-23
UNCLE JOSH AGAIN
WRlTES~HIS NEPHEW
ON RESUBMlSSION.
LETTER NO. 10.
Augusta. Me, April %, 1904.

|
In my last letter l promised to civ,
you few points as to the reason fol
the rapid development OF public senti-
ment against any form of the liouo,
tra1fic We do not nave to go bac,;
many years-nOt over half a century,
TO reach n time when alcoholic hey
erages of some form We're used in ev-
cry household. Country stores solo
rum the same as any other STABLE com
modify. and review of the books az
some of the old-time traders show.
that generally more business was don.
IN liquor than in any other one thine,
and 1t also shows that the he:lyiest
buyers of liquors were the Stoves,
payers.
| Gradually those old-t;rnp merchants
| realiZed that sale of mola sses, flour
or corn meal, though not bringing into
| their money tillS as much profit upol,
| the first deal as a sale of the SAM,
| value OF rum. yet the flour or corn meal
| carried more thrift with it and in th,.
! long run their success depended alto,
gether upon the thrift of their custom
ers. The gradual giving up of the liquor
business by these Old-time merchants
|
against the very merchants who ha,
discarded the business altogether.
Where the rum traffic carried on bv
| the general merchants had received
| only criticism, the establishment of sa-
| looms with their debauchery. gambling
| and consequent crime, called forth n
decided opposition. Reform clubs were
| organized. Pledges We're signed. Re-
formed drunkards entered public lifo
as temperance lecturers and 4 move
! ment was inaugurated that resulted in
much good. The use of liquors was
baniShed altogether at church services
ANA from the family fireSideS But thu.
reform movement finally ebbed and the
| reformed drunkards by large major
ity went back to their cups.
Whenever the people of our popula,
federal government have met face to
| face with an evil they have always
| worked out way to suppress the thing
undesired as part of our civic life
Realizing comparatively little success
| could be accomplished in that old
| method Of pledge signing. another way
| was sought to insure the future against
the drink habit evil Churches took
| hold of the work, aiming to reach mex
! through Christian influence and that
| succeeded to some extent, but it was
| 4 new departure. even for minister's
| to preach that the habit of strong
drink is a sin.
All of these different movements
simply brought into i strong relief so
| prominent as TO be realized by all that
| the drink habit once formed is nearly
always formed for life. and the uues-
ton How may the sons be saved from
the sins of their fathers?" was an
| Swered in the formation OF differen,
juvenile societies, the introduction or
temperance instruction in the public
schools and the organization of various
| young peoples societies in connection
| with regular church work.
| The most prominent of these soc,,
cites are the Christian Endeavor. the
Epworth League and the Catholic Tota.
| Abstinence Society. The Christian En-
| deavor Societies in the United State
number 44.264. with Il membership of
2653,S40. The Epworth League of the
NJ. f. church has a total membership
in the United States of something
above 100000, while the Catholic Total
Abstinence Society is an armp in itself
| NOi hiIls3 Out Il reform more cOnD!ef,
| and far reaching than did any of thos,
old temperance clubs so numerous 81
or 40 years ago.
Then again many of our secret soci-
cites have incorporated Il law in thei,
| supreme statutes to the effect that no
saloon keeper or bartender shall b.
eligible to membership. The Modern
| WOodmen of America, the Maccabees,
| the Knights of Pythias. the Odd Eel
| lows and in many states the Mason,
order risidly enforce this statute ano
in thus doing throw the business o,
liquor selling into public disfavor.
! With all of these mighty organiza,
| tons. towers Of strength, working
| against the liquor traffic. it is no won
| der that liquor dealers are alarmed at
the spread of public dislike and con-
] demnation of a business the results of
which fill our Warehouses;. jails prisons
and poor-houseS. leaving in it's nath so
| much of the blight of manhood ana
| wonlanhoOd.
No wonder the traffic is condemned
and the people engaged in it are So
cially OStraciZed