Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-11-12
BY William T. Ellis.

IN many community on this CONT
nent, and abroad, the temperance cues
tioh has become tho leading news
topic. 1t is getting the big headlines in
the papers. Men on the streets are
talking about It, 1t is ending it's way
into all sorts of weekly and monthly
puoiicantions; and Some of these are
serving UP as news what the veriest
tSfo III temperance work has known
TOR wears and decades. EVERYWHERE
one hears the stereotyped expression.
= temperance wave" And truly the
recent progress OF anti-saloon senti-
ilent may be called a wave" sweep
ing over the whole earth. That fact
IS not the point for personal discus
sion, however; rather should we con-
me ourselves to consideration OF the
Iorces behind the present tcmpera nee
successes; the winds that have created
lhe wave. study of temperance or
CARNATIONS is timely topic. 1t Is
bound to promote Intelligence, fairness
and balance among the Young temner-
ance advocate who are to be found in
the ranks of the young peoples So
cieties.
Away back in Old Testament times
We find the first temperance orsaniza-
ton: and it was quite a model. The
hechabites. We're the sons OF Jonadab,
VINO were under his command contin-
uing from genera ton to generation,
not to touch wine or strong drink.
ihe'r position was somewhat akin to
that OF the modern athletes. They
wanted to keep fit" and in good con-
alhon so that they might always be
IN full possession Of their powers
Therefore they denied themselves all
things that might enervate. and elect
va C Nny>11
IL meant that the Rachbites were a
choice company of servants of the
state; they We're ready for the hardest
tasks of fighting or enduring. More
over they transmitted their virtues to
their children. They illustrated what
the insurance companies have within
naif century discovered. namely. tina [
the man who does not drink is good
risk. The total abstainer is beuuesth-
ing to his children Rachabite inherit
tance OF good blood and nerves and
brains. So high on the roll Of tenn
perance organizations, as well as first,
must be put these ancient Rechabites
. single resolute man is more 20
tent than half a dozen dead and -aliye
organizations That is why we think
OF rather Matthew and Frances Will
lard and John B. Cough and Francis
Murphy before we think of any of the
numerous temperance societies.
Revolutions never go backward
Emerson
Nobody whose Judgment is valuable
seems willing to predict what the end
OF the current temperance movement
Will be. AssuredIy it has not vet
reached its limit. the scurrying for
cover on the part of those whom it
threatens is one sign Of this. More
over. the anti-saloon agitation Of to-
daT is only a part OF a universally
awakened moral consciousness. From
far Ceylon we read of recent temper
ance legislation. Switzerland, the
home of the manufacture OF terrible
absinthe, has legally ended the pro-
duction and sale OF that ravaging bev-
erage. Great Britain is in the midst of
license reform debate On this side
or the water temperance legislation
seems to be steadily on the increase.
Of thirtN-four legislatures in session in
the United. States this year, twenty
passed laws against the traffic in
LIQUOR. and not one passed any laws
favorable to the saloon Ohio is a
conspicuous instance of the success o,
the most popular of the modern forms
OF temperance legislation. local option.
County, elections upon this subject are
still being held It this writing, and
already ten hundred and forty-two sa-
looms have been legslated out of ex-
istence in Ohio.