Greene County herald., 1909-04-16

- Trantc SuarcS and oraQS down j
Il ten others from the ranks of our \
II American youth.
The report of the United States com
missioner Of internal revenue shows
That the consumption Of Intoxicating
Rquor has grown from six and one
haif gallons to twenty-three gallons
per capita since 1860 and that the
hverage consumption for every man.
bvoman and child in America has
grown in eight years from seventeen
and one-half gallons (17.60 to twenty.
ghree gallons (23.0D. During these
years, from 1900 to 1908, while 90
100000 people were being added to the
Eerritory which had abolished the H.
pensed saloon, the annual drink bill
Cor the nation has grown from $780,
100000 to $2,175,O00O0o.
Notwithstanding these startling fig
nres. the temperance cause is making
steady progress and has achieved a
mighty advance in the past century.
In the year 1903, just a hundred years
3AQy LII oA4J SltAA Il OAf3o14AACO IAC AA0S
temperance society in Moreau, Sarato-
Ha county, n. Y. The resolutions
adopted at that time expressed the
opinion that it was proper and prac-
Hcal and necessary to form temper
ance society and thaG the leading OBJ
sect was for the members to wholly
abstain from ardent spirits, but il
made provisions for exceptions in the
case Of religious ordinances, sickness
and public dinners. This society did
not adopt a resolution Of absoluteEtotal
abstinence until the year 1S43.
For more than a generation from,the
organization Of that first temperance
hpciety the emphasis was placed on
personal and moral suasion, and
through the efforts of the members OF
khe Washingtonian and other temper.
hnce movements during the decade
from 1910 to 1850 hundreds of. thou
sands Of drunkards were freed from
the shackles Of appetite by direct per
wonal appeal. Then for the first time
was discovered the weakness OF moral
euaSion. There were two vital points
u this weakness - one its reliance
kpon sentiment and fuctuating pop
mIar enthusiasm, and the other Ia
Failure to Withstand the never ceasine
influence Of the licensed dramShop.
During the fifties this defect beeamt
generally recognized, and many states
bTere swept for Prohibition, bat Il
could not then be permanently eStab
atshed because it lacked the backing
OF a strong political organization or
widespread educational propaganda.
The civil war came as a terrific SO
Esai earthquake in this critical era a
Prohibition endeavor, and in It's wreca
Uf personal morals most of the goot
results Of that first fifty years agtfa
sion were swept away, and at th'
close of the war there remained bu'
little Of all the work that was done 'ol
OF Che victories partially achieved.
The Liquor Trafic's Power BornGII
Civil War.
In the very midst of the civil war
An 1852, the national government ag9Vt
GzffctaI recognition to the liquor busi
hess and laid the cornerstone of ths
batter's future prosperity by the inau
guration Of the internal revenue sys
eem as applied to the drink traffic.
BY this measure the federal govern
ment transformed the liquor question
from a movement for personal refor
NATION to q problem of tremendous
social and political proportions. The
Individual slavery of the victim of al
cohoi. instead Of longer being the eli
max OF the drink curse, became merely
m Incidental item in the development
OF m enormous traffic in intoxicating
Beverages. In the same hour the thou
sands Of dramshop keepers through
cut the country began to be mere tools
and hired agents Of the brewers and
wholesale distributors, who speedily
came TO dominate the entire trade
At the close of the civil war the
present epoch of the temperance re-
form was born. Moral suasion and the
saving Of the drunkard remained and
still remains Of vital Importance, but
kD make successful personal work pos
asnle the greater duty confronts us of
crushing the monstTous trust In vice
mnd closing up their 250;O00 licensed
Qpen doors Of shame
Until that victory is won all neranna !
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