The Forrest City times., 1908-08-21


 man and Protestant types. and the Abolitionists 4 were Paritans: so are Hrohibitionists
 Now Puritanism. like the church and state. has its fsects. There al- ways have been and probably always will be at least two sects of Puri- tans both having the same end in view, the promotion Of righteousness, but the one seeking to accom- plish this by compulsion and the other by per suasion.
 In the temperance movement 1 can go the full length of the way with any company of persuasi0nists and while going can practice what l preach: but l cannot go many steps with compulsionists. PuritanicaI pro- hibitionlsts in ny humble judgment can no more do away with the slavery of intemperaHce by compulsion than Paritanical bolitignists could pre- vent the slavery Of seryitude by con- pulsion. Until the leayen of persuas- i've righteousness has done its work there will continue to be great deal Of industrial slavery in this country and so am fully persuaded ii will be with the slavery of intemperance REASONS FOR OPPOSING PRO
 HIBITION.
 IL was indeed true that the great Commandments of our Holy Scrip tures upon which the laws of the most highly civilized portion of man. kind are largely based, are in great part prohibitory in character but 1t is equally true that they seek to pro- mote righteousness by an appeal 10 the will and interests of the indiyid- ual rather than by making indulg- ences in the evil an impossibility.
 And, gentlemen. l believe that. if you will go deep enough below the shallow surface of things, you will agree with me that. paradoxical as il may at first thought seem, good and evil are essential and inseparable con- comitants in the sphere If morality. and that it is really impossible that evil should be annihilated without the annihilation of the good with it It seems to me that the Parable of the Fares contains profound truth which is being overlooked by many prohibitionists.
 Nor should 1t be forgotten that while the removal Of all intoxicating drinks and edibles would indeed prevent in- temperance and iHebriati0n, it would at the same time also deprive the sentient world of some of the most necessary remedies for the ills of both body and mind fl man and beast as well as rob us of the virtues of tenn perance and sobriety.
 l have long been of the opinion that gluttony is quite as much of vice as drunkenness. Indeed l believe that a careful inquiry would show il 10 be the consensus of opinion among med ical men that intemperance in eating really has more wide spread and de- leterious effect upon mind and body and carries a greater number of peo- pie to premature and obscure graves l than drunkenness. Now, this being the case the drink prohibition party has about as much ground in common sense to staud upon as the food prohi- bition party would have.
 Social impurity is certainly a greater evil as a source of deadly sin, sickness, degradation, sorrow and death, than social drinking. But where is the prohibitionist who will recommend the destruction of one sex in order that the other may be pure.
 Money is the root of many of the greatest among evils Perhaps this is especially true of our age and coun- try: but show IS the prohibitianist who advocates the doing away with money.
 As a result of such considerations INN1.A4N IA4AASS 44i4Ai IL SN44 LII lI4G ftI verge of concluding that il really would be a misfortune rather than q blessing if any prohibition party should succeed in the cause which they have at heart, and human nature and his tory being what they are, it is impos- sible for me 10 conceive of a time of ultimate and permanent triumph for any such party. Shocking as this may seem to my friends among prohi- bitlonists, l am in conscience bound to give expression to the conviction and hope that they will not succeed. for l am fully persuaded that the net result of their success would, upon the whole and in the long run, be misfortune rather than blessing.
 TEMPERANCE REMEDIES.
 From my point of view there are two and only two ways of reaching l the evil of the infemnerate 1Sa of in