Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-01-11

was COhuiuklteO lO tOlai abstinence
and prohibition. And the genera
ton having failed, through the
chicanery of the politicians out of
the churches, followed by those in
the churches, to C>sasG innate its
well begun work, caused political
prohibitionists to despair of bet
ter result if another generation
were similarity educated. Ninety
five per cent of the voting church
membership have been led by the
liquor sellers to believe, or to pre-
tend to believe, that the protection
of the bloody shirt; protection of
the black man; protection of iron
and wool and whiskey; protection
of gold and silver dollars; protec-
ton of Cubans; Porto Ricans and
Filipinos have all, and each sever
ally and collectively in their turn
been of more importance than the
protection of their own boys and
girls.
If q large number had believed
that in a republican form of gov
eminent laws must be enacted by
lawmakers elected for the purpose,
and that these lawmakers will en-
act such laws as they were elected
to enact, and, in fact, compelled to
enact by the withheld support of
their constituents; and if they had
believed, too. that when enacted.
these laws would not be executed
unless men are elected who from
principle are favorable to such law;
and so believing had steadfastly
voted for avowed prohibitionists,
standing on prohibition platforms,
the battle would now be over.
y large proportion of our voters
have held either that there were
more important issues, or that one
of the old parties, when once firm
ly established in power. would.
from an innate tendency to do
right, enact and execute prohibi-
tory laws; or, that prohibition
must be accomplished by an omni-
partisan, or possibly a nOn-partiSan
movement. They have voted ac-
cOrdingly, for men and parties
favoring license, rather than for
men and parties favoring prohibi-
ton; and the whole country has
had what these voters voted for;
namely, license with all its horrors.
Statutory and constitutional prohi-
bitiOn have remained dead letter
for lack of officials to execute them.
Laws do not leap from the statute
books and execute themselves. And
then we have been tainted with
the jeer., prohibition don't pro-
hibit, which is about as wise as to
say that "a rusty axe without a
handle or man to swing it don't
cut"
One strange and discouraging
feature of the attempt to cure the
world of this government-protect-
ed distemper is the fact that each
succeeding generation seems large
ly TO fail to profit by, or improve
upon, the mistaken methods of the
generation that preceded; and the
world must needs go over the ex-
ploded theories of other years and
states and nations again and again.
Free whiskey, light wines and
malt liquor innocence, low license,
high license, local option, Gothen-
burg system, mulct laws, and the
stay-in-your-Own-party, and vote
for-the-best-man theory must be
met anew and defeated again and
again.
The only hope for the success of
the prohibition movement is in its
ability to enlist the hearty CO.
operation of the Christian men
found in Christian churches. fit
cannot ultimately depend on them
to do at the polls what they pray
for in their devotions, it must die.
L have painted dark picture.
yet it has a bright background.
Corporations are saying to their
employees, you must choose be-
tween drink and employment. Life
insurance companies are making
specially low rates for total abb
stainers. Pure food authorities
are prosecuting the vendors of i'm
pure drinks, and this, if pushed.
VIII dry up many a fountain of
iniquity. Voters are becoming
disguised with the rum-subsidized
politicians, and are breaking away
from the party thraldom. We
seem to have had a ten years.
slump in the prohibition movement.
We have gone down into tho tro,,e.l,