The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-13
BY WII,LIAM 7. ELLIS.

| are our liquor laws, and how are they
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS
! Whatever ones theories about temper
the community in which he lives, is to
help enforce eXisting laws These laws
less less the obligations of good citizenship
require him to see that they are fairly
enforced, in the interest of all concerned.
Even the saloon keeper may not be un-
lawfully oppressed Every man must be
accorded all his rights under the law.
One may go so far as to declare that the
conservation of the law is of greater inn
portance than the enactment of new tenn
perance legislations; Lawlessness, in pro
noting which the liquor. traffic has un-
ace to the life Of our time than even the
course of intemperance itself. SO all who
would cast their influehce unreservedly
on the side of sobriety and purity should
be at greatest pains to assure the enforce
ment of existing laws.
The frequent appeal to "the unwritten
law" as Justification for all sorts of pro-
cedure, is one of the most dangerous ten
denotes of life in this Western world.
may be repealed by due process of leg
islation. That is what is taking place,
with astonishing orapidity. all over the
wholly under prohibitOry statutes. By
the operation of local option laws, the
ma ior NORTON Of the p0nuIation Of the
country now lives in dry territory. This
is one of the most significant signs Of the
throttling the traffic in strong drink.
The United States and Canada lead the
present trend Of society continues, We
may expect a wholly sober people ere
many generations.
After all has been said, though, law is
but the concrete expression of the public
temperance workers should be to put a
mind of sobriety and self-control into all
the people, The work of education may
npRlnCtpd n
ing legislation. The most effective tenn
perance law is that which reigns in the
speaker expressed it, f'closes the liquor
shop which is carried on between a mans
own chin and nose
In connection with this topic deal of
impractical advice will be given to En-
deavorers to become thoroughly familiar
with the temperance laws in force in their
own communities and throughout the
no lawyer He has better Use for his
brains than to cumber rneIu with mass
The organized temperance movement I1is1rerit
should have experts upon these matters.
All that may reasonably be asked of the
average person interested in temperance
is that he should possess a general know
ledge of the laws which he is called upon
to help enforce in his own community.
Once laws had to do primarily with
property rights. Nowadays. to an increas-
ing degree they are concerned with the
social well-being of men and women An
astonishing total of legislative enactments
during the past decade has had to do
with the betterment of the conditions of
life. Labor laws, pure food laws, laws
upon matters of sanitation and hygiene,
conservation of natural resources, child
labor laws, temperance laws, safety-de-
vice laws, educational laws-the total is
really a staggering indication of the man
ner in which society has become per-
meated with the leaven of the Gospel
all this sumptuary liquor legislation would
nave been regarded as gross interference
with personal liberty: today the world
has learned that the Individual must be
subordinated to the well-being of the en-
tire social body. The Pauline principle
of self-denial is coming to be recognized
as sound economics and cound politics.
The law of the Other Man is the an
cient, ScripturaI common law" upon
which all temperance legislation is based.
A capacity for moral Indignation is a
first element of noble manhood. Sweet
saints are sometimes supine and spine
less. The man on whom God must de-
has to possess the ability to flame with
hot wrath against wickedress and injus-
t1ee. A. few days ago 7 sat in the lobby
of an Alabama hotel besides a distinguish
ed Ex-Governor of the state of North Car
olina. The room was filled with members !
of a certain secret society which is sun
posed to be a gentlemen's order. Yet
these men were, most of them, foolishly
singing snatches Of such inane songs as, !
Were here because we're here They
and mauled one another like a cage OF
bear o; cubs; The Governors eyes were
olazing; ; lain I'm ashamed of them. I'm
But this is the sort of thing that drives |,
decent men out of many fraternal socie- |
men are breaking the law as well as stul- !
tifying themselves And he turned away
with manifestly mingled feelings of indig- |
nation and sorrow. Unless I am n1istak, !
IN in my man, he will on some appro- |
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