Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-04-25
Keen ANALYSIS OF PROHIBITION
BY BISHOP BROWN OF ARKANSAS


| understand that / am held in DIFF
ferent estimation by the leagues and
that may expect different treatment
from their representatives. | there
fore naturally warm up to them as
| have been unable to do in the cuse
OF the regular Prohibition party.
From a Personal Viewpoint
Gentlemen, you will see that your
misplaced in my case, and that even
tie most radical among Prohibition
lists might join you in covering me
with 1t, when I tell you that, If our
people generally used no more whis-
key or other intoxicants than | do,
| one pint bottle would supply the
needs of the whole population of the
, United States for at least year, and
every saloonkeeper in the world
would have to do what you want him
to do: close out his business. Fur
thermore, let me say for the purpose
| of showing how fully in sympathy
thl WIN Nhc tduaS VI temperance
that, If could do such thing,
would persuade every man and wom-
an to follow my example in the use
not only OF intoxicating drinks and
drugs, but also of tobacco, tea and
coffee.
Thus you sec that so far as my
own personal habits and influence
go | am nearly, very near, to being
IN extreme Prohibitionist, for am
practically Il total abstainer from al
!ntUNicants. / drink "cambric tea. "
! and though honesty compels me to
Oa.css that | likc my coffee rather
strong, yet | may truthfully relieve
| The humiliation Of the confession bv
3ayinG that | drink only two cups of
| II daily; and | am sure all the men,
jcrs OF the league and the more mod
viii agree VITA me that Il man who
quite regularly takes his coffee at
$3.50 II. M. and eats only one simple
meal in the course of twenty-four
aCurs is catitled to coffee of good
| strength.
NOw. gentlemen, ! have told you
| al this that you may feel that, so far
Is the example of my life is concern
ed, | am heart and soul with every
temperance movement. The reason
that cannot take my stand with any
advocates of prohibition, not even
with those of your excellent type, Is
found in the fact that, while | thinl;
| ought practically to live a life OF
total abstinence in the use of intoxi-
eating drinks and drugs and of ex-
IRENE temperance In the use. of ordi-
nary drinks and food, yet, consider
| that It would be both unscripturaI
and unwise for me to insist that M
standard of living should be followed
by other people. For | am fully per-
5uaded that taking the Bible as Il
whole, or the Gospel of the Lord Je-
sus alone, 1t does lot require total
! abstinence from the use of intoxi.
cants or even the degree of temper
ance in using ordinary foods and
| drinks which | practice.
| If, therefore, | had the power to
force my personal habits upon 9TH
ers ] should not feel that 1t would
| be right for me to make use of It,
| because ] believe that from the
Scriptural point of view, one may
habitually take a little "toddy" and
smoke cigar and perhaps even chew
small quid and, If he is wood
chopper, eat three square meals a
day, and be every whit as good a man
as one who has adopted my erratic
practices.
Bishop Brown and Bishop Potter
| In respect to our standard of liv-
ing | suppose the distinguished Bish-
op of New York and the obscure
Bishop of Arkansas are about as diff
ferent as two men can be. / know
Bishop Potter pretty well, much bet
ter than the majority of his critics
and yet, in spite of all he does which
do not do, ! cannot honestly have
the consolation of believing that
am as good an all-round man as he
Is; for he is normal while | am &c.
centric. From the Scriptural point
of view it seems to me that Henry
Goldman Potter, of all great Ameri,
cans who are known to me personal,
ly, comes the nearest of being the
ideal Christian gentleman, citizen
and bishop. In society, state ant
ichurch, ! regard him as being much
,more than myself the typical, exem,
Iplary Christian and American. II,
is in the best sense of the phrase {
man of the world. am too much
of monk.
Gentlemen, you see now why 1t II
that | can go hand in hand with yor
on the question of temperance. but
am obliged to part company with you
at the point when we come to tn,
prohibition part of 1t because my go
ing further would mean disloyait!