The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-09-06
The President and Temperance.

President Roosevelt made an address
at Wilkesbarre, Pa, a few weeks ago
under the auspices of the Catholic Tenn
perance Union. Wilkesbarre is in the
center Of the coal mining region Of east
ern Pennsylvania, and the audience to
which the president spoke was made up
largely OF miners. II they came to hear
and see the president out of mere cur
iosity, they heard sound and practical
doctrine, for the president had nothing
to say about the tariff or the Philip
pines, but much to say about sobriety,
thrift, cleanliness, honesty and such
homely virtues. And his words were
fifty spoken, for there is no class that
needs indoctrinati0n in temperance more
than the one that composed the majority
of MIR. Rooseyelt's audience at Wilkes
barre. And this is what the president
said.
In the last analysis the factor most
influential in determining any mans
success must ever be the sum of that
mans own qualities, Of his knowledge,
foresight, thrift and courage. Whatever
tends to increase his self-respect, what
ever tends to help him overcome the
temptations with which all of US are
J surrounded, is Of benefit not only to
him, but to the whole community. No
one society can do more to help the
wage worker than such a Temperance
society as that which / am now adj
dressing. 1t is of fncalculable conse-
quence to his wife and children, for it
is hard and cruel fate that in this
life Of ours the sins of the man are
often visited most heavily upon those
whose welfare should be his one special
care. For the drunkard, for the man
who loses his Job because he cannot
control or viii not control his desire for
| liquor, and for vicious pleasure, we have
4 a feeling of anger and contempt mixed
with pity, but for his unfortunate wife
and little ones we feel only pity, and
that Of the deepest and tenderest kind.
Everything possible should be done to
encourage the growth of that spirit OF
self.respect, self-restraint, seH-relianee,
which, if it only grows enough, il cer-
tain to make all those in whom ]. lows
itself move steadily upward toward the
highest standard Of American citizen
ship. 1t is proud and responsible
privilege to be citizens Of this great
elf.governing nation, and each OF us
needs to keep steadily before his eyes
the fact that he is wholly unfit to take
part in the work of governing others
unless he can first govern himself. He
must stand up manfully for his own
rights, he must respect the rights of
others, he must obey the law, and he
must try to live up to those rules Of
! righteousness which are above and be-
hind all laws"
4 All of which is sound sensible and
seasonable. But it is only fair to in
, quire whether the government has any
right to stand sponsor for an institu-
ton that destroys the spirit Of self
respect, self-restraint and self-reliance II
The presidents words seem like mock
cry when one remembers that the thing
he was indirectly denouncing with all
the energy of his earnest soul is endorsed
and protected by the government Of
which he is the chief official. If in
temperance is bad for the miners of
Pennsylvania then the thing that makes
it possible Is bad, and if that is SO, then
the authority that protects the thing
BY licensing 1t il bad and the response
hility for the intemperance of the miner
is traceable not only to the miner for
! his failure to exercise a due measure Of
self-control, but to the government that
throws its protecting shield over the
| whiskey business, and participates in
its profits. We hope that, when the
president talks temperance again, he will
allow the logic Of the situation to lead
him to q clear view Of the facts in the
case, and that his natural honesty and
hatred OF evil will induce him to deliver
his soul on the most deplorable of all
modern iniquities legalized liquor
traffic Copied from the Epworth Her
aid.