Arizona republican., 1908-03-31

d vice of stupidity. and the increased sobriety may be regarded as d direct result of wider education. Men are learning to be masters of themselves. but U attain true self mastery they must have liberty. In this way only gan strong character be produced
 There is a strong truth in the words once attributed, rightly or wrongly, to a famous bishop: Better England free than England sober" That is, even Sobriety may be purchased too dearly if it is purchased by the loss of free dom. which is essential to the produc- tion of character.
 But. even if it were expedient. it would not be possible Experience shows very clearly that where the eff fort has been made it has failed. In the Prohibition States" there is quite as much drinking as in others. but it is done secretly instead of openly
 My opinion is that very drastic measures among ourselves. even if less drastic than total prohibition. would be attended by similar results. Those who wish to drink will drink, if not in public houses, then in clubs. if not openly. then secretly and. therefore. it Is in the interest of true temper ance that l dissent from much of the extreme temperance" program of which We hear today
 The true question for us. then. is not how to abolish the drink traffic. but how to recognize it. and. in recognizing. regulate it. Obviously so long as drink is regarded as in itself wrong or dis graceful; no regulation is possible: in this case eventual abolition will always be the ultimate goal of the reformer Our first duty is to acknowledge quite frankly that the desire to drink is not in itself wrong or unlawful. For men to drink. as well as to eat together. has always been an outward and Vis- ible sign Of fellowship. and the more openly it is done, and the more frankly it is recognized. the better
 When we consider how narrow and restricted the homes of the great body Of the people are. We are bound to ad- init that the public house in some form is d social necessity. The important point is. what form? Our aim should be to develop type of public house on the lines of the French cafe. of the German beer garden. or the Danish "Ofholdshjein'
 We want places where food as well as drink, and non alcoholic as well as alcoholic liquors can be obtained: where a man can take his wife and meet his neighbors without sense of shame, with windows through which md ne a1 and chairs These could be true social centers. The worst of our ordinary public house is that it does not afford these social advantages: it has little except standing room and the windows used seem tacitly to assume that those who drink wish to be concealed. ] venture 10 think that it would be a great gain if our brewers and others interested in the trade, could be in- duced not only to resist attacks but also throw their energies into a reform of this kind. With large, light. airy roomy public houses. with facilities for obtaining food, and instead of being mere drinking shops. presenting Op- portunities for real social intercourse many of the smaller, meaner drinking places might. and. I trust. would. dis appear with great advantage. IL IS to0 much to hope that temperance reform CTS would he willing 10 smile on such | movement
 For myself. at any rate. l wish tc make it clear that it is not in the in- terest of intemperance, but of temper ance. that I am opposed to some of the i popular remedies of the day. such as i total Sunday closing. extinction of bar maids. local option, etc It is not by | trying to make drinking disgraceful oi | impossible that we shall get rid oi 1 drunkenness. The process. in any case must be a slow one but Christianity and common sense alike demand that i to achieve results worth achieving. we must treat men as free and responsible 1 beings. capable of self-reverence, self
 knowledge and self control