The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-11-10
w. C. T. T.U.COLUMN.
CONDUCTED BY MRs. ~. 4. HoBBs.
The Cost Of Experiment

Every little while some individ-
ual, desirous to know if a gun is
loaded, tries it on his mother or
his little brother or his dearest
friend. 1t always is. But the
increase of information that
comes to the experimenter is
scarcely a recompense for the
disaster to his victim.
Vermont wanted to know if a
license was loaded. The good
people were tired of being
good. " They wante to fall into
line with Boston. New York and
Chicago, and keep step with
them on the down grade lust far
enough for a little revenue and a
little political jobbery, and stop
short before any mischief was
done. License was heralded as
restriction" Temperance
measure, " and they would try it !
most of them to their abund- /
ant satisfaction and are coming
back by thousands to Prohibition. /
But what has the trial cost?
1t was our good fortune to meet |
an old resident of Vermont. a /
native of the Green Mountain |
State, and former Judge of onel
of the courts, who is now a resi-
dent of the South, but has re-
Gently made a journey through 4
his native state.
They are corning back" he
said, they are sick enough of it'll,
but there a lot of young men
whom they can't bring back /,
They have begun to drink. They I
have developed the taste and /,
formed the habit. and no-li-
cense vote won't pat taem back I
where they were before.
u am old enough" continued
the judge. to remember the old
bar--oom days, before prohibi-
ton. Then at every spring train
ing and Fourth Of July and cleo f;
ton, when people crowded into +;
the towns, whoever met an old :
from anywhere !
must go and drink with him. and !
you would see numbers of men. !
1ch and poor, old and young.
Trunk about the town. and moth
ng was thought of it. They
ooked on it as a matter of r
curse. .
Then came prohibition. fifty
ears ago 1t was not perfectly I
In the larger towns, {
'eople who wanted liquor, and a
new where to go, could get it
tut 1t was a great improvement q
yer the bar-room system. .
here were whole counties where
here was no saloon
All through the country plac-
young people grew up without
yer knowing the temptation to |
rink.
Then they tried license two
ears ago. 1t has been in full
)eratlon year. Saloons sprang
everywhere. Drinking was
ade respectable. and numbers :
men started in who won't be
opped soon. if ever" ot
Yes. it's the minor tone of -,
IMAM woe that mingles with N,
e acclaim of every victory. II.
'ohibition is winning its way n,
ck again, but what of the Ia
lien? IN,
When will the good people
lrn that if "bein' good ain't sel
VS. it is better than news? we
Ie cashier that has been honest FIR,
fifty years can get plenty of
by embezzlement. but
VIII be a most improbable
nil. Another twenty years of ha.
mdrum hon esty will b better she
leritance for his chiIdren's use
ldren. 1t is i'll to put human A
and character into the cru in
lie IN the hope to contravene dir
immemorial laws Of moral mn
ion. per
Iermont has learned her lesson ami
! taken up new resolve. anc
there Kansas and Maine. bro
l Prohibition towns and coun- the
the country over, where the Lif
ne tireless agitatorS are plead
with the people to try the
icy of license. Let Us hope 7
t they will be content to take don
instead of experience. ave-
| profit by the result of Yer tbe
nf'e cnctln- lnrcn,, Nh. -