St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-09-18

Il b1lV GGkVgA $3.50
whatever to do. Maine. the prohibi-
ton State, suffers from drunkenness,
from the effects Of poisonous drink,
highly charged with alcohol, more
perhaps than any State in the Union.
Maine, the prohibition State, is cursed
with a great body Of secret drunk
ards, because temperate, open drink
ing Of mild beverages is prevented By
law, and WhiskeY drinking is made
compulsive and encouraged. Prohibi-
ton must have that effect every
where.
1T is painful to say anything that
might offend or discourage the earnest
prohibitionist. There are no better
men or women living than those
sincerely trying to help their fellow
creatures and to discourage excessive
drink.
But if the man who now tries to
encourage temperance by force and
prohibition is sincere, SO was the man
sincere who once tried to make peo-
pie religious by the rack and thumb
screw and other violent measures.
Tt is necessary to talk frankly on
the question of prohibition. The
temperate nations are the nations
that drink the mild beverages, the
light natural wines and beers. The
Incorporate nations are the nations
that drink the fiery spirituous liquors
-whiskey, gin, brandy, vodka.
Prohibition means we'll, but it
drives out by law the bulky light,
harmless drinks Of temperate people,
wines and beers. It compels men
who will drink to take the WHISTLES
and gin, the concentrated poisonous
stimulants easily hidden and Of which
a small amount produces drunkenness.
In Maine, per capita, there is ten
times more drunkenness than there is
in France. In Maine, prohibition
rules and the law says that no man
shall buy anything to drink. In
France, there exists temperance, and
no prohibition. The French govern
ment in public placards, and by edu-
cation at government expense, de-.
nounces the use Of highly alcoholic
drinks. And it encourages and even
subsidies the production and the sale
OF llgnt natural wines.
If tomorrow you should establish
prohibition in France, if you forbade
the pnblie selling Of light, harmless
stimulants that the people have
always taken, and always will take,
you would drive out the use of the
light wines that produce a temperate
race, and you would compel the use
of Whistles, gin and other poisons
that produce drunkenness.
$50 it is in Germany, where all the
people, from time immemoriaI, have
been temperate drinkers of light
wholesome beers, with a very small
percentage of alcohol. There is in
tinitely less drunkenness in Germany,
where prohibition is never heard Of,
than in Maine or in Kansas, our two
most distinguished prohibition States.
There is infinitely less drunkenness,
less crime, and disorder due to drink
in Germany, France or Italy, where
the people are temperate and where
everybody drinks the really temperate
than in any one Of on. South
ern States recently devoted to prohi-
bition.
Prohibition in Germany would
mean driving out harmless beers
which do not lead to intoxication.
But prohibition would not stop men
from drinking. It would compel
them to give up the beer. which can
not well be hidden, and replace it
With schnapps, the German substitute
our health destroying and mind
destroying whiskeY.
I'VE invite our readers all over the
country to think over this question
II prohibition in the light Of common
iense. We advise every man who
ian do so. to work and live without