The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-22

South America. These two conspicu-. ous examples of civic righteousnessi in- spired public officials throughout the entire country, and everywhere they began devoting themselves to carrying out the provisions of the law against these privileged law breakers. and ev- anywhere they found the saloon was the fostering mother of all lawless- ness, and tens of thousands of men. who arc not actuated in their oppo- sition to the traffic. from moral mos tives. as you and I. are nevertheless inspired by patriotic principles in their opposition to this reasonable institu- tion.
 For more than dozen years we have been gathering up the broken threads that were snapped at the breaking out of the civif war. and are -hitching them on to the enlightened conscience of the present, and this so- called wave will never recede until the last un-American liquor shop has been abolished from our civilization. Y Movement of Civilization.
 Tt Is a great movement of civiiiza- tion, as irresistible as the march of time. This reform. because of unwise handling, was, for time, dehected from the church. but the church has at last come into the possession of her own, and is able to enter the arena against this monster of horrors every where and maintain its seif-respect.
 The conflict is new. because we are studying it from new standpoint, and moving against it with saner methods. The legitimate question, Does 1t pay?' is being asked. and. if so, Who does 1t payT Every legitimate business Is coming to recognize that the liquor trafic Is a pirate upon the high seas of commerce. harpooning whenever pos- sible every legitimate trade and bus mess.
 "we are studying 1t from scientific standpoint, and already are beginning to realize at the ballot box, on the in- struction given in every State in the Union, in the public schools. on the effect of alcohol upon the human sys- tenn. We are studying 1t from polit- ical or governmental standpoint. and men of sound principles everywhere are becoming tired of the interference of this criminal trafic in our political life. While a decent citizenship stands for the best in political life, the sa- loon stands for the worst, and no can- didate for ofice can be so low In moral character that the saloon will not sup port him.
 Already more than thirty-eight mil- lions of people of the United States are living in prohibition territory. About thirty-four millions of them have aboi- shed saloons by the vigorous use of local prohibitory laws. Eight States are now in the prohibition column, and others are ripe for saloon abolition.
 'Srhe method now adopted for the
 overthrow of this traffic Is everywhere
 to do the thing that can be done, while
 pressing forward toward the ideai tnat
 must be reached.
 At this time saloons are being abol-
 ,shed in this country at a net gain or thirty per day. The fullness of the
 time has come when this crime-breed- ing tranio must pass. from our civlli- zation."
 pr. AIIison's Speech.
 pr. Alexander Allison of New York, General Secretary of the National Tenn perance Society, was heard with keen interest as he spoke of the Dual Prob lem" that confronts the temperance
 workers. Dr. Allison said; "The dual problem is the problem of the hour. There Is no more up-to- date subject before the American peo-
 pie today. What Is this dual pro6iem9 It Is total abstinence for the individ- nal and the abolition of the liquor trafic. Perhaps we might express 1t otherwise. How to separate the indt- viduai from the drink; and separate the drink from the individual. There | is no obstacle in the way of our Chrls- tian religion that Is greater than the
 use and sale of alcoholic beverages.
 HDoes someone say: You have no | right to tell me that I shall never i swallow a glass of liquorT l am not here to discuss that proposition. IT
 you ask me why I am a total abstain CT I will tell you. am afraid to be anything else I hold as a proposition that will bear considerable burden of investigation, that the one who takes the first glass does not possess the
 same moral power to resist the second glass which he had to resist the first. He has weakened his will by yielding | to the first temptation.
 Again, am a total abstalner be- 1 cause I do not know what moderation | Is, We have heard of the moderate | drinker, l have not seen him.. do | not know where he resides. have not been able to locate him. have not l found anyone else who has been able l to do so. What Is moderationI That Is | A question which 1t seems impossible | to answer. The speaker developed this | point at length by illustration and
 otherwise, and concluded with the sem | tence: He who does not drink the | first glass will not drink the second. The speaker also claimed that the | constant use of liquor blunts the con- | science. The climacteric argument which the speaker advanced was the
 argument of expediency: The argu-
 mont set forth by the Apostle Paul | when he says Tt Is good nelther 70 | eat flesh nor to drink wine. nor any | thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, ar Ia offended, or is made weak" For | my brothers sake" Is the strongest ap- | peal you can make to my intelligence