The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1908-09-30
Communicated
RELATIVE TO LICENSE.
A Few Brief Thoughts for Your
Consideration. Il

Editor Press =
The liquor traffic problem is one
among problems of social science that
confront us; and, like every other
science. it should be studied calmly,
carefully, thoroughly We must
diagnose the case before we shall be
prepared to apply the proper remedy.
An engineer. who, in drawing up
plans for bridge, should ignore any
of the laws of mechanics, would make
q bad mess of his job Now, the
prohibitionists have made this
stupendous blunder. They have not
only ignored, but have set themselves
in direct opposition to human nature
and social laws. They have acted as
if men were mechanical automatic, to
be controlled at will by Legislative
jugglers. It never seems to have CO.
Cured to these fanatical reformers
that they are dealing with persons and
not things, and these persons have
thoughts, consciences, desires, free
wills The prohibition idea is q sur
vival of the spirit and methods of
Puritanism. Puritanism is the attempt
to make men good, according to its
peculiar notion of goodness, by the
moral suasion of a hickory club No
wonder that prohibition is failure!
It is in mans nature to rebel against
rules and restrictions which affect his
liberty of action, and which he feels
are unjust. Few of us have the time.
or perhaps the inclination, to study
this serious social problem, but we
cannot go far wrong if we are guided
in our Judgment by men whose
opinions are of the greatest Importance
and are not hastily formed nor hastily
expressed.
Abraham Lincoln said: "Prohibi-
tion will work great injury to the
cause of temperance. 1t is species OF
intemperance within itself, for it
goes beyond the bounds of reason in
that it attempts o control a mans
appetite by legislation, and in making
crimes out of things that are not
crimes A prohibition law strikes
blow at the very principles on which
our government was founded. Until
my tongue shall be silenced in death
I will continue to fight for the rights
of men, .-- F.
Thomas Jefferson talked directly
to the point when he said: No
man has natural right to commit
aggression on the equal rights of an.
other; and this is all from which the
law ought to restrain him Every
man is under the natural duty of con-
tributing to the necessities of society,
and this is all the laws ought to en-.
force on him. When the laws have
declared and enforced all this, they
have fulfilled all their functions, and
the idea is quite unfounded that on
entering into society we give up any
natural right. - ..
John Quincy Adams said: For
get not, pray you, the right of per-
sonal freedom. It is by self govern
ment alone that the law of temperance
can be enforced. Seek not to enforce
upon your brother. by legislative en-
actments, that virtue which he can
possess only by the dictates of his own
conscience and the energy of his owa
free will -
The late Bishop Henry O. Potter Of
New York gave much of his time and
thought to the cause of temperance.
He said cit is in vain that you tell
the workingman that the saloon is
evil, until at least you are honest
enough to recognize that there are
features of it that are not evil, and
that, as often as otherwise. those are
they which he most of all prizes, and
turns to. While many men
go to saloon to get an intoxicant.
others go there for any one of half
dozen purposes, refreshments, amuse-