The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-10-19
PROHIBITION AND POLITICS.

Under the forewoinE captiou The
Catholic Register and Church Exten-
sion Of Toronto has the following
article:
Down in Alabama they are making
history. The speaker Of the house
Of representatives left his chair the
otter day In order to take the floor
for the purpose Of making an an
nouncement. This announcement was
the church must rule in Alabama"
By "the church" he meant partIcu-
larly the Baptist and Methodist bre-
thren, who have been conducting
vigorous fight for the most complete
and radical prohibitfve measure yet
enacted by any state. They have al
ready made the liquor traffic Illegal,
but they wish now to 60 further and
amend the state constitution, so that
II may be for all time to come uncon-
stftutional az consequently unlawful.
Apart from the real merits OF the
question, there is a side TO this pro-
hfbition activity, which Is frequently
overlooked. There are still serious
doubts in the minds Of thoughtful peo-
pie as to whether prohibition pro-
hibits. It's chief effect IN Kansas and
in many OF the southern states thus
far has been to increase the sale Of
bitters, patent medicines and poison
Gus connections. which the people pur-
chase in immense quantities as a sub
stitute for alcoholic stimulants. There
are well known patent medicines
whose chief ingredient is cheap recti-
ned whiskey. and these today are ship
ped by the carload into the small
towns and villages Of the west and
south. The prohibition question is not
settled by any means, and many
thoughtful people In these states be-
leye high license under proper legal
restrictions preferable to the Illicit
sale Of liquor and the poisonous nos
trums, which are now being retailed in
all these states. This, however, is not
the side Of the question to which we
desired to draw attention. It is the
strange new force In American politics
which has arisen as a result Of this
anti-saloon crusade. It has inter
jected the preachers into municipal,
state and national affairs. There was
a time wnen it was said that the Cath
Ollie church was DESTROYS Of playing a
part in national politics. These ac-
cusations are no longer heard. The
Catholic priest leaves politics severely
alone. He is willing to let the people
conduct their own affairs. TO-DAY the
people Of the south are preacher-rid-
den 70 an alarming extent No politi-
clan down there can nope to succeed
unless he has obtained the approval of
the real political leaders, namely the
clergy. These cody gentlemen are
dominating the small towns to such an
extent that they have brought back
the Puritan Sunday and the discarded
blue laws Of New England. The Anti
Saloon League is perhaps the strong
est political organization in the coun-
try today. 1t has corps Of weH-paid
lecturers In every state, most OF whom
are preachers. Its political methods
are copied after those of Tammany
hall. It's chief aim and purpose is to
make the church the dominant DOW
er in politics and to make prohibition
override all other political issues.
One Of the results has been to pro-
cure new type Of Politician saint
II sort Of chap with the oId-fashion-
ed traditional whine, who can grow
beautifully black in the face whenever
the saloon is mentioned. He cam
paigns in the churches and generally
gets religion" before election day
rolls around. There is another reason
for the growth OF this new power in
American politics. The preachers
nave given up positive doctrine. Their
people viii not listen to it. They have
turned to philanthropy and social
questions. Prohibition has been a
veritable God-send to them. II has
given them new issue, a new field Of
activity and consequent new lease Of
life. II is the last stand of the evan
gelicals and they are making the most
Of II. We venture the prediction that
the cody gentlemen who have obtained
their first taste Of power as the result
OF this anti-saioon agitation viii in the
near future turn their activities in
other directions. They have left re-
hgion for politics and the people OF
the United States will do well to be |
on their guard. Catholics must keep
up the campaign for real temperance, |
which involves the elimination OF all |
abuses in connection with the LIQUOR |
traffic and its proper restriction, but |
it is evident from what appears above |
that they will have to avoid in future |
alliances with the reverend |
gentlemen who are making prohibition |
the chief tenet Of the christian reH~ |
gion, to the exclusion OF all else be- |
sides. To us over here, the great sur
prise is that a country which has been
boasting 80 much Of its political liberty |
should in this day and age tolerate the
dominance Of the church" in state
and national politics.
a October has been acting the part