The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-08-06

| tian Church. Now you cannot, by a
mere law eradicate a sentiment and
destroy an institution that has stood
for ages, and that is so deeply rooted
in our whole social life. Prohibition
ment and the social habits of countless
generations of the highly civilized, pro-
gressive and moral peoples. Moreover,
prohibition passes condemnation on a
great branch of industry that has been
recognized throughout all ages as legi-
innate, an industry in which some of
the most venerable and honored relig-
ious orders of the Christian Church
have been and are today engaged.
Dr. WATSON believes in temperance,
yes, but he wastes little of his time
extolling it, and there is more world
illness in his utterance than quite COM
ports with the bearing of preacher:
"Prohibitionists seem to imagine that
they are dealing only with the COM
paratively few liquor dealers; whereas
they are dealing with the vast multi
tude of men that are determined to
use liquor. They tell us that the sa-
loon is a curse. Well, be tina as it
may, the practical question is, what
blessing does prohibition furnish as a
substitute? Absolutely none, unless it
be the w. G. T. U. mothers meeting
and the weekly prayer meeting. These
institutions, excellent as they are in
their place, are hardly adapted to sat-
isfy the social needs of the masses.
Still, there is a good deal of the
clergyman in the way DR.. WATSON re-
sorts to stories to illustrate his points,
says The Post. Speaking of the way
his brethren and sisters soften resort
to the most contemplate and disgust.
ing methods" to close the saloons, he
says:
"Some time ago travelling sales
man who lives in the middle west was
returning home from trip. On ar.
irving at his station he noticed that
the streets We're filed with people. Max
ing his way through the crowd he dis
covered That no-license parade was
in progress. 1t was a long procession,
made up of women and children. They
carried banners and flags, and sang
| Temperance" songs. Every child wore
badge on which were the words
"Vote for us; we cannot" At the end
of the procession were several files OF
children dressed in rags and tatters
One of these, boy carried huge
banner. Printed on the banner in
large letters We're these words: "My
father is drunkard" Our friend the
salesman looked at the banner and
then happened to glance at the boy
Suddenly an expression of amazement
came over his face, and breaking
through the crowd, he ran up to the
ragged banner bearer and grasping him
by the arm exclaimed: "My God what
are you doing here, my boy?" 1t was
this gentleman's own son that had been
dressed up in these rags by the good
Temperance women and sent out to
carry this banner of shame and humi-
liation through the streets. This ex-
hibition is a sample of the methods
employed by prohibitionists to gain
converts to their cause.
Although DR.. WATSON argues at great
length against statewide prohibition
as in Maine, he does not like the local
option movement any better. At this
point he turns around and argues that
the state is the natural unit for de,
Gliding whether the liquor business may
or may not continue. Home rule is
not so important, in his opinion, as a
uniform statewide policy which would
protect the property rights of the
saloon interests. Those who have an
intimate acquaintance with Rev. Was
son will not be surprised at his stand
on the question of prohibition and the
assaults he makes on the "drys." He
grows fat on it. 1t is meat and drink
for MIN.