The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1908-10-09
Temperance and Prohibition.


Waterloo Courier: Temperance is a
personal matter and it means personal
self control in the use of Intoxicating
liquors. The exercise of personal self
control in the management of any APP
petite requires that the food or drink
desired be accessible The moment
it becomes absolutely impossible to
get any intoxicating liquor, that mo-
ment temperance ceases to exist.
! Therefore radical prohibition is wrong
and immoral. WAS your husband re-
signed?" asked the preacher who was
to preach the funeral sermon. Re
signed" replied the widow, "he had
to be-" Is man sober under pro.
hibition regime? 1t is not because he
is temperate, but because he has to
be. A very different affair. The tree
of free choice must be left standing in
the Garden of Eden.
Temperance being personal mat
| ter, and self control being from
within outward it means different
things for different persons. No
iron clad universal rule applies. AS
a general thing few men can use liq-
uors Of high percentage of alcohol
and not become drunkards, therefore
! total abstinence in this direction is
I temperance for every one. The use
/ of liquors of small percentage of
/ alcohol at meals such as light wines
\ ,,,c{ 1~o Id 1,,,o fo
| himself. Such use Of liquors and
! the taking a drink" at a saloon are
two very different propositions. Some
doctors honestly believe that less tea
and coffee and more light wines at
meals would be beneficial to the
health of Americans. But it Is to be
emphasized that drinking liquor sim
ply for the drinking and using liq
our at meals and with food are two
very different things. Drinking
for the sake of drinking leads tc
drunkenness; drinking with meals
does not necessarily do So Every
man and every home must make its
own decision as to what is wise. The
standing in every home. Few work
ing men can afford anything but
tea and coffee with meals; no work
; ing man can afford to patronize the
saloon, or drink simply for the sake
of drinking
Prohibition is social matter. I
means the self-government of the
community, and therefore local pro
, hibition is preferable to state or ma
tional prohibition. Prohibition doe,
prohibit and any statement to tn,
contrary is simply quibbling 1t /,
right and proper for the communit,
to prohibit the lawless saloon
When, as it is said to be in Thu
south, any large body of citizens lacl
self control and in consequence law
( lessness and drunkenness is on tn,
Increase, 1t is wise for that commu
nifty or state to prohibit any am
every saloon whether law abiding q
r not. 1t is also wise and right ant
t proper to prohibit the sale of bar
y liquor manufactured from chemicals
:. and the sale of distilled liquors will
s high grade of alcohol percentage
: This sort of prohibition is analogou
l. to the embargo placed on adultera
: tons by the pure food law. Conse
u quently any community may wisel
prohibit the sale of certain kinds O
= liquor, and the running of saloon
S under certain conditions, as a matte
l. of self-defense
q But when the saloon is law abit
r. ing and the citizen is sober and ten
a. perate as a rule then prohibition a
u wise or necessary measure is d,
n batable. There is no call now fe
i. the repeal of the mulct law. D,
~ buque and Davenport saloons a,
~ now obeying it. There is no cali fl
IN re-submssion of the prohibition
N amendment. Iowa is in a good ter