The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1907-05-16
Present Tendencies in the South.
s. c. Mitchell in Kind Words,
TEMPERANCE REFORM.

ginia alone have been closed within
the last five years that is, the num-
Der Of bar-ro0nns in this State has de-
creased by nearly half within that
brief period. Kentucky has ninty-six
counties dry" nine counties voting
for local option in five days in last
December, and over twenty counties
within the past six months. It is re-
liably stated that Tennessee has now
three communities in which there
are saloons. North Carolina, Texas,
Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama
have about three-f0urths of their
areas without bar-roOns. In word,
over tw0-thirds Of the people Of the
South today live in no-saloons terri
tory. Even in those communities
that still retain the saloon such re-
Strictions have been thrown around
the sale of liquor as to greatly reduce
the evils arising from its use. Among
these restrictions are night closing,
high license, removal of screens, ex-
clusjon OF minors, etc.
How shall we account for such
startling progress in temperance re-
form in the South? While many
causes have contributed to this graft
flying result, the Anti-Saloon League
has been especially effective. 1t has
stood for the golden mean of temper
ance reform. To understand the
Leagues strategic significance in
achieving present victories, it will be
necessary to retrace the history of
this cause.
The various methods that have
been adopted in dealing with the
liquor question may all, in principle
be reduced to three What are they?
THE PERSONAL METHOD.
|. Total Abstinence.-The begin
ming Of the attack upon intemperance
was made by those brave pioneer spir-
its who sought to persuade the indi-
vidual 70 abstain from the use Of in
toxicants. TO this end Total Absti-
nence Society was formed, whose
members took a personal pledge to
let alone aicJhol in all its forms. It
was natural that temperance reform
should have begun with the individ-
ual. Much lasting good has been
accomplished by the total abstinence
movement.
But this method Of reform soon
met with two difficulties: (D It was
slow. o. In combining itself to the
individual it took no account of the
temptation offered by the open sa-
loon. The total abstinence put the
whole responsibility Of the liquor
evil upon the individuals will, and
took no notice of the State which
licenses the sale Of liquor, or of the
saloon which allures the man, or of
the community which permits the
evils that flow from bar-rooms. 1t is
right to hold the individuals will re-
sponsible for indulging in liquor, but
it IS wrong not to hold similarly re-
sponsible the State, the saloon and
the local community. Four parties
conspire in the making Of drunk
ard.
THE POLITICAL METHOD.
Il. The Prohibition Party.-As it
proved slow and ineffective to deal
only with the single man, reform
swung to the opposite extreme and
tried to strike down the whole liquor
evil at one blow by working through
the state Or nation. The prohibition
party thus dealt with another factor
in the problem the States alliance
with the saloon. 1t made the the evils
Of lntenlperance national issue. The
loyalty to conviction shown by pol
itical Prohibitionists has deservedly
won the admiration of all.
THE MORAL METHOD.
III. The Anti-Saloon League.-As
the first plan Of dealing only with the
Individual seemed too slow, SO the
second plan Of working directly
through the State seemed too fast
Men were led to ask: Between the
personal methods and the politica
methods does there not lie some gold
en- mean Of temperance reform? The
liquor question began to appear as
strictly q moral issue, having to dc
with the Individual conscience anC
with the public conscience. The Anti
Saloon League aims at the man who
drinks, the State which licenses, the
saloon which sells, and the commu
nifty which tolerates the bar-room
1t believes in bit-by-bit reform
Whereas both total abstinence ant
prohibition are exclusive in then
methods, the Anti-Saloon League i
inclusive, not wedding itself to an,
one cast-iron programme, but EN-
bracing within its scope every agenc,
that makes for temperance. Unit,
and sanity are the essentials of I'll,