Evening journal., 1907-10-24

From Philadelphia Item. October 20.
Every sane. true and manly man is
a believer in and a friend and advo-
cate Of temperance.
He pities and at the same time de-
spises the man who overdrnks, over
eats or otherwise abuses himself by
overindulgence of any kind.
He recognizes that these evils Of
overindulgence do exist in many forms,
he would like to remedy them all If
he could and he will give advice or
proffer aid where there is the slight
est possibility of it being accepted or
at least taken in good part
This alike applies to the minister in
his pulpit. the physician in his office,
the merchant in hrs store. the man
ufacturer in his mill and the saloon
keeper in his place of business
But all alike realize that J.ey are
compelled to deal with nums = nature
that is as old as creation itself and
the salient feature of human nature
Is a willingness to be coaxed but a
refusal to be driven.
Mother Eve would probably never
have given a second glance OF thought
twice Of the apple had it not been
the only fruit in the Garden which she
was forbidden to view and taste.
That, the original prohibition was
directly responsible for mans down
fall and sins. and il has ever been the
same since. all down through the long
lapse of the ages. What you forbid
a, man, that will he have if human
effort and human ingenuity can gain
Il for him.
And it is for this very reason that
the greatest enemies Of real temper
ance to-day are the Prohibitionists, the
Uell-meaning but misguided men and
women who fatuously believe that the
placing of a few prohihitory words on
the Statute books of a Commonwealth
can altar human nature and mans
method Of living.
Just now they are demanding that
the sovereign Legislature of the State
Of Delaware say 20 each and every
resident of the State. thou shalt not
drink.
The Legislature of Delaware can
yield to this well-intended hue and
cry and officially issue its mandate,
but the Legislature of Delaware nor
all of its voters can close the saloons
or the wholesale liquor houses of
Chester or Philadelphia II can close
Delaware's saloons and deprive the
State o. millions Of revenue but it
can only spur on rather than curb a
mans appetite.
And if every State in all this Union
should pass prohibitory laws the alb
solute prohibition demanded BY the
dreamers must still remain an impos-
sibility as long as an intoxicating es-
H. -.
tables. the fruits and the berries.
Prohibitory laws as regards the Ii
quor traffic have proven absolute fail
ures wherever they have been tried
Maine passed such laws and still
clings to them, but II is an open
secret that the city Of Portland alone
has upwards of 500 Illicit but more OF
less wideopen saloons and statistics
prove that there are annually more ar
rests for drunkenness and disorderly
conduct there than in any license city
of similar size in the country. Kan
sas passed prohibitory laws and its
numberless blind tigers" are a by
word and a reproach to the State.
In our neighboring State of New Jer-
sey local option prevails. The towns
Of PIeasantville and Hammonton, tc
choose two examples at random, tried
Prohibition for a number of years
Both are license towns now and thes
would be unwilling to 60 back 10 the
and lawless conditions from which
81 sensibly divorced themselves.
The town of Vinelapd on the Other
hand. still clings to Prohibition. But
twice a week seven beer wagons from
an adjoining county visit the town. anc
deliver their wares, a physician has
headquarters in the principal hotel and
makes a good living filling out pre-
scriptions for whiskey the filling o
these prescriptions is the principa
source OF income Of large drug store
there, and there is more visible drunk.
enness on the streets of Vineland OF
Saturday night than there is in al
the big licensed city Of Philadelphia.
And. licensed as it is this city still
furnishes an example and proof tha
the man who desires to drink will a,
so regardless OF any laws that ma,
be passed Strictly obeying the Law
every saloon i'm Philadelphia hermeti
cally seals its doors at midnight OF
Saturday night. There are nearly 200
OF these saloons Five minutes afte
they close upwards of 5000 speak
easies open up and do a lucrative busi.
ness until midnight of Sunday. TheT
they are deserted because no rnan will
sneak a drink if he is permitted TO ge
IL openly and legitimately. 90
The licensed saloon keeper is subjec
TO the law and with very few excep
tions obeys Il IN its entirety, and no
only that. but, for the good of hi
own business. seeks to discourage
drunkenness and excess of all kinds
The speakeasies and the blind tiger
are without the pale of the law. car
naught for the welfare Of their patron
and one fracture of the statutes NOR
or less IS Of little moment to then
even If they are caught.
Prohibitory laws Invariably bree'
these illegal places and it therefore fol
lows as night follows the day tha
Prohibition is the enemy and not tn
friend and ally of true temperance
NO BALLOT FOR WOMEN.
Miss Phoebe couzins, Noted Suffraeisi