La Junta tribune., 1909-10-23

most important victories
~ humanity. Our own work, on &C.
cSdht OF limited funds. is comparative.
ly inconspicuous. However, by pam.
phlet, newspaper publicity. and spok.
en- word, We annually reach probably
nearly a million people. But as the
Unitarian field Is the whole earth, we
wish to report progress for our val.
lent comrades laboring far and wide {:
the most cosmopolitan mission among
men. set in the horizon OF universal
humanity. animated by supreme unity
OF spirit and productive OF the ulti-
mate type Of manhood. for the dis
ciples Of all Masters must be sober
men.
Our warfare against drink outranks
the noble campaign against the white
plague" for the victims OF drunken
ness far outnumber the consumptives
Of the land. One is a fight against
q devouring disease; the other vic
tory over numberless evils in behalf
OF Christian character. We seek to
liberate the race from the habit
which imprisons more than the num-
bers in jails and penitentaries. who
themselves largely lose their liberty
through drink. When men shall alb
stain from public constraint and per
sonal choice, the line of convicts will
be short We abolish q curse far
greater than war. Drink kills a
thousand where the sword slays one;
and our dgink bill Is nearly ten times
rs large as the sum now spent on
our army and navy. The victory we
seek will be supreme triumph for
charity. When the saloons OF our
nation. which. II brought together
would fill both sides OF the road
fnQp Chicago to Boston, thousand
4 lcs Of woe and ruin-AhAll be shut
by restrictive laWs that suppress the
traffic and by the education Of men
to avoid the habit.-then the poor
houses will have few inmates and
philanthropies will have little to do.
We labor for = greater blessing than
public hygiene can accomplish. San.
ltatton is lengthening the span OF
human life. but our work not only
adds years, It increases the content
and enobles the quality Of human life.
subtracting tears and heartaches and
multiplying vigor and virtue Our
efforts both feed the root OF life
and also destroy the enemies thai
kill the branches. Stop the use OF
liquors and every school will have
brighter pupils and every community
fewer divorces: every ballot will be
more effective for good government
and every city hall Will be free from
It's worst influence.
We hear much In these days about
social Justice" The impulse for
social betterment Is strong. the de-
mand for economic reorganization 10
loud. And this is we'll. But no other
injustice In the land Is comparable to
that which enables ten thousand
brewers and distillers to transfer \
billion dollars annually from the
pockets OF the poor to their own bank
accounts. No other social betterment
would be 80 great AS the change from
moderate drinking TO total sbstin-
Dacc on the part OF two million Amer
lean lxborers. II would mean higher
0kes, less sickness. better homes.
lSfHer savings. lower taxes. stronger
churches. The curse Of poverty:
How vast The injustice OF monop'
oily. How evident. But the ten.
perance advocate represents the most
effective way Of escape. not simply
from poverty Of things. but from pov.
erty Of life. We fight the deadlicst
monopoly: the liquor traffic that not
only stripe = man Of his wages. but
also robs him Of home and heaven.
Bee what could be done II our work
men saved the billion dollars which
they now spend on iiquors: They
could more than pay the national
debt in one year. They could far
outrank Q dosen Carneeiss by 'sound'
ing annually Q thousas1 hbeassss u
every state: and they could rival Q
hundred Rockefeller In gifts 10 sdu.
cation. They could build every year
fifty macadamis~d highways from
eeast 70 coast. placing them every
my niiss Aeast 9Fen 0sls 70 hkss.
aai thsss weslA 6eubas ~ veass q
Q billion acres Of land. BY the Doss
worss than wasted on drink. thsy
could ~ 1oe . i've thousand dollar
life insurance or buy . fine house at
The end q . few ysass. TIE 100
n labor amoag These astisaas. % g.
count q dSiAk, y more thaa what a!l
The workman n Chicago accomplish
In Q week. he basic net 10 any
ecouomic ossaaisaaioa V sobs'ssy.
TAs tenpsfascs ceuse reDesssats or
pstjosa1 rseeurcss. 10 haanse egs'
Dosoe3eas 81 lgoeee ~ -! naess
~ ~ uQuse tsae11s , ME- ns.uas
I 1sssss N'ta sssal - ~ s'e'as