Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1904-05-12
To Destroy the
Rum Power.
BY Henry ceorg:.

GUSStu Ill VIC tHltSh obaUSs. DuI
the discussion has turned on the
kind and the degree of legal re-
striction that ought to be applied
to the manufacture and sale of
intoxicating drink, and the
political efforts of this restriction
have been but little considered.
The "rum power" has been suffi-
GENTLY recognized and bitterly
denounced; but without inquiry
into its nature and causes, has
generally been treated as one of
the evils that made restriction
necessary.
Yet the political influence of
the various interests connected
with the manufacture and sale of
liquors is a matter of sufficient
importance to demand some con-
sideration in itself, and apart
from the question of temperance.
For the "rum power" is certainly
a fact of the first Importance. 1t
is an active, energetic, tireless
factor in our practical politics, a
corrupt and debauching element,
standing in the way of all reform
and progress, a potent agency by
which INSCRIPTIONS men may lift
themselves to power, and an in
fluence which operates to lower
public morality and official char
aCter.
Intemperance is a grave evil.
But it is not the only evil. Politi-
cal corruption is also a grave evil:
The most ardent advocate of
temperance would probably adj
nit that there may be a point
where the one evil may be out
weighed by the other, and would
hesitate to accept the total absti-
nence that prevails in Turkey if
accompanied with Turkish cor
ruption Of government. There
is no instance in which intemper-
ance among a civilized people
has stopped advance and turned
civilization back towards bar
barism, but the history of the
world furnishes example after
example in which this has occur
ed from the corruption of govern
ment, ending finally in the cor
ruption of the masses.
While the lessening of intern
perance may be the most impor-
tant end that under present con-
ditions we can seek; while it
may be that in our liquor legis-
lation we should disregard all
other effects if we can secure this
it is nevertheless wise that we
should at least consider what
these effects may be.
In the presence of the. giant
evils springing from the exist
ence of the rum power" in our
politics, it is certainly worth
while to inquire how the exist
ence of this power stands related
to our restrictive liquor legisla-
ton.
A little consideration will show
that they are indeed related, and
that this relation is that of cause
and effect. Not as is generally
assumed, the rum power being
the cause and the restrictive
legislation the effect of opposi-
ton aroused by it, but the re-
strictive legislation being the
cause, and the appearance of the
rum power" in politics the
effect of this restriction.
This we may see from general
principles,a and wide experience.
While there is any possibility of
changing them through political
action, legal restrictions on any
branch Of business must intro
duce into politics a special ele-
ment, which will exert power
proportional to the pecuniary
interest involved.
We restrict the importation of
wool by putting duty on wool
and Immediately there arises in
our politics a wool power to send
lobbyists to Washington, to Sc
cure the nomination and election
of members of Congress, to exert
an influence upon party organi-
cation and conventions and tc
contribute to political corruption
funds. We put a duty on iron
and at once there arises an iron
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