The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-07-15
MECHANIC HITS
THE DRINK EVIL
Arraigns Greatest Criminal OF
Society Before Facts of Its
Own Influence.

John McTaggart, mechanic Of the
o. r. & i. Co., is responsible for one of
the severest arraignments of liquor yet
to be made from the local pulpit, de-
livering sermon on the evil of drink
as complete as it was strong, at the
Methodist church several weeks ago.
Mr.. McTaggart summed up the ques.
ton from the standpoint of his own
trade, and speaking from his own ex.
perience, drew no influence from the
missionaries or any other class of
people, who, in their endeavors to set
forth the truth of social matters for the
benefit of society, have used the same
facts which he used. He said, in part:
els it right to take from the mod
crate drinker his freedom to get drink
when he wishes so to dot And say,
Yes, 1t is right. In the first place we
are taking nothing from him that is of
any benefit to him in any sense. Then
again we are taking from him that
which is the cause of his chief danger.
The moderate drinker is on the same
trail which leads down to the place of
the drunkard. Let me ask from what
class the drunkards graduated Why,
from the moderate drinking class and
there are no drunkards in this or any
country but one day in the past were
in the moderate drinking class. And If
you will show me a man who takes n
drink now and then, l will show
you man who takes Il little more
drink now than he did then.
GA few evenings ago the Bulletin
ha oh ofr Nxytth oil
the blind pigs well barred in and the
gate fastened with bar marked
present law And there was Mr..
Woolley with the prohibition bar try
ing to break down the door and turn
the blind pigs loose. Why, could take
the editor of the Bulletin by the hand
and lead him to a place upon the very
block on which we are met together in
this church tonight and show him q
well kept blind pig and in fact he is
not so very blind, either. said to q
man some time ago, man whose bust
ness it is to find and close such places
and bring the offender to justice, How
is it that that place is allowed to run
there9 Don't you know it is theref
| ooh, yes, we know it is there Then
why isn't it closedf' Because that
man has influence amongst his people
and controls votes at the election and
we are given to understand that we are
to keep our eyes closed and our hands
off,"
"The devices resorted to by friends
of the saloon were resorted to by
friends of slavery, but Illinois raised
up son who brought out the truth and
proved to the world that our country
could get along better without the ma
tional curse Of seryitude. Abraham
Lincoln has been quoted as having beer
opposed to prohibition. Here is mat
ter of history which shows us where
Mr.. Lincoln stood in his mature years
On the morning of the 14th day Of
April, 1865, just the day before his
assassination he said, "After recon
struction, the next great problem is the
overthrow of the liquor traffic" And
although Mr.. Lincoln didn It live to sec
the day, / think we are justifed--iI
view of the victorious tread of prohibit
ton these latter years-in the belief
that the time is not far distant wher
the world shall know, by nationwide
prohibition, that America can get along
better, infinitely better, without the
national curse of intemperance.