The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-03-01

cities the saloons save moro lives
from death by freezing than tho
churches do. AT ell events, that state
ment has been made by men of wide
experience. 1t may be that some peo-
pie without money will not be tolerat-
ed In saloons. But many are And as
long as man has a dime he can at
least share the warmth and fellowship
OF a saloon. How many people OF this
sort could find shelter and comfort IN
our churches on winter nights? And
how many OF them would find any fell
lowship at all In the churches at any
time? Our churches have not vet be.
come social institutions. They are
still, for the most part, selfish corpo.
rationS.
Further. just as poison in the blood
is capable of creating other abcesses
or tubercles. II not removed, how do
we know that the social disease
which now finds vent in drink may not
break out In more vital place on Tho
body of society, II. without any at
tempt to understand the disease, we
simply try to suppress this one alb
scess by drastic prohibitory law? We
have no right TO destroy anything
without putting some better thing in
its place Unless we are prepared to
put something positive and construct
i've In the place Of the saloon, we have
no right to destroy It, Unless we set
to work to get the poison OF disease
out Of our social life, we had better
not disturb the evil OF intemperance
Men are social beings. They demand
!, recreation They need change. T hey
need expression. II you maintain con-
ditions OF labor or employment which
afford utterly insufficient wages. no
hope or Ger lainty OF promotion long
hours. enforced idleness at intervals
without paw, and no chance for Inn
proyement OF the mind or the aesthet-
ic nature. you are making 1t absolutely
certain that men and women. denied
legitimate ways Of recreation. will find
vicious ways of getting 1t. Here. more
than anywhere else, is the root cause
OF the vice OF intemperance. as 1t Is
of the social evil Make 1t difnc,ilt
for man and maid In every grade OF So
freely to bestow their affections. free
ly to marry with the certainty OF n
livelihood as the reward OF reasonable
labor. and as naturally as night fol.
lows day, you viii have everywhere
present in society an Illicit sexuality
which will spread the Infection OF
disease far and Wide and undermine
TIE very foundations of morality. No
amount OF drastic legislation can touch
the cause OF that disease or effect
cure. Artificial legislation is loser
every time when II fights against nat.
ural law. 1t must work with natural
law TO effect any results. The cause
OF this Vice is to be found In the ab-
sence of definite and positive action
OH the part of society Itself. Society
must see to 1t that every child that
comes into the world knows all the
facts of sex and has a chance to de-
velop himself and herself and to live
a decent life. Until that Is done. all
other effort to remedy the evil Is ut
ter folly.
1t is mistake, In my Judgment. too,
to suppose that we can ever achieve
any final solution of any problems for
other people. The only final solution
which can be had OF the evil of intem-
perance must be achieved by the very
people most concerned Once estab
lished such economic and social condi-
tions as are demanded by the whole
nature of young men, and they them