Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-31


have increased in your city and In
Springfield and all over the country,
whether the town Is wet or dry. So
this presentation of figures does not
prove anything. They also count up
vacant store buildings in a town.
They can not, nor can any one else,
trace prosperity to anything directly.
Question One of Philosophy.
'"This prohibition question is one OF
philosophy That is the only interest
ing phase of it. Anybody can make
speech for prohibition. The speech
makes itself. All they have to do is
talk about orphans and widows and
drunkards' graves and all bad things.
The speech will arrange itself auto
matically. We can not make one that
way. They appeal to the passions.
the feelings and the prejudices OF
man, and that makes it an easy job.
1t is easier to convince man by pref
udice than by reason. That makes it
an easy job for them. We can not
appeal in the same way. We can't
arouse emotion for the saloon or beer.
Does any one care about a poor sa-
AOOhhCCpCI VI Ills WIG VIM may nav
to take in washing? This is a Ques-
ton of philosophy, a question Of
science of government, question of
what is right in government, ques-
ton of individual liberty, a question
of the policies of the nation, and we
must appeal to the intellect of men.
ut is question of political science
They say that it is one of religion and
of Christ. They work themselves up
to white heat. They see drunkards
graves and can not see any other kind.
They see the drunkard's orphans and
widow. They see no other kind. If
switchman is MANNED by a railroad
they do not see it. All they see is
rum. If we could get all the prohibit
tionists together in Illinois and they
won their point they would immedi-
ately try to get a fleet and go to Ger
many and make the German quit
drinking. They say it destroys the
body and soul. 1t is easy for them
and simple to make their points. All
that we can say against it can be
summed up in 100 words.
Choosing Bill of Fare.
eff a person is free to sell a horse
or farm or buy thing, why isn't he
free to buy a drink? Do l have to
call town meeting to choose my bill
of fare and let them say what I shall
drink? They would take away these
privileges. The privileges of eating.
drinking and sleeping are natural In
stincts. They are all We have to live
for and without these liberties it is
death
TT is up to the prohibitionist to
prove why drinking can be classed as
criminal. I prove my right to drink
by my existence and the fact that
am free. 1t is our privilege to choose
our life for ourself and to choose our
own destiny, no matter what our
neighbors may be.
They say that 1t Is a crime to drink
beer; that it fills our jails, makes
crime, poverty, death, widows, orphans,
disease. Is it true? Does its use cause
any considerable part of crime? Many
believe so, but know not why. There
is no evidence to prove it. Getting
drunk is not crime. It is an error of
judgment. A man who gets drunk
thought that he could hold more. If
we arrested everyone who eats too
much, one-half Of our best citizens
would spend every night in jail. The
prohibitionist makes his own bill Of
fare and says it is crime to differ.
They say that 1t causes crime. With
few exceptions, all criminals belong to
one class-the poor. Therefore, the
poor drink all of the whisky. The only
time a rich man goes TO Jail is when
he is not rich enough. 1t is like every
thing else: it is produced by the poor
and taken by the rich.
Steam-Heated .JaiIs.
"The question of crime is one of the
greatest of civilization We find that
more go to jail in bad than good times.
They go because the jails are steam
heated and have electric lights. More
go to Jail in winter than in summer.
When the cost Of living is high, thoy
go to jail. More get religion in winter
than in summer. They listen to it be-
cause there is a coal burner in the
room, Men commit crime in time of |
need, and they do not commit crime
when they can find an easier way to |
obtain living. Once in a great while |
whisky causes murder, but statistics |
prove that there is not more than one |
case for a hundred years. You will !
find that marriage has caused more |
murders than any other thing Still /
the prohibitionist does not wish to |
abolish this.
Prohibition is only for the poor. If |