Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-14
The Revival Of Temperance.

The Revival of Temperance.
Great men. of all ages have ex-
pressed the conviction that the Chris
tan church cannot compete with So
cial institutions, either in the field OF
progress or in ethics. and thus re-
vlvals of religion are necessary. The
masses become run down by too much
progress. True as this is in the mat
ter of religion. it is no more true than
- in the parallel case now exemplified in
- prohibition. revival of the prohibit
ton spirit had become necessary in
order to overcome the constant in
- roads made by unceasing assaults
upon the law by mercenary insttu-
lions entrenehed beyond the borders
OF our State.
s. II has been said that, the church can
g have no rival if ii keeps its religious
program in the foreground. This is
equally true in the matter of prohibi-
* ton If the friends of the law were
ever as active as at the present time,
and as intolerant of the falsehoods
which are constantly put forth by the
liquor interests the public conscience
and the natural tendency toward
moral progress would overbalance all
the influences which tend toward de-
generation.
Professor Simon n. Patten says
that ITO predicate social degeneration
does not assume a lack of social
- progress or even that the average
man is below the level of his ances-
tors Progress is made by the few
- whose social position frees them from
- the pressure to which the masses
must submit" The greatest factor in
degeneration is the liquor traffic, and
against this every element of social
progress, industrial advancement and
~ religious up-look must constantly
wage war if they are to free the
masses from the constant pressure of
those who engage in the manufacture
- of intoxicants. Maine is feeling the
pressure at the present time, because
the great influences of INSCRIPTIONS
methods and gold-hungry purpose
never rest in the prosecution of their
unholy business. They provide the
arguments with which political par
ties may put up the semblanee of
p honesty in attacking that which
makes for better civic conditions and
cleaner moral standards.
The depravity of the liquor traffic
must be fought by all institutions ana
organizations for social advancement
hand in hand with the church, which
is ever confronted by the downward
e@ tendency of social institutions.
The friends of the liquor interests
charge that prohibition is an intermit-
tent force, breaking forth at times
- into vigorous reaction against vice,
:, and then sinking into long continued
~ slumbers, charmed by the sophistries
of ethics and progress and the oft-re-
peated assertions that the people do
not want the law enforced. This is
true not only Oh pIonlDitluii Dut Vi re-
ligion, and, as we said at the begin
ming, a prohibition revival is as ne
cessary as a religious revival, in or
der TO lift the masses up from too
much social progress.
So-called society events, which de-
pend upon the degrading influences of
intoxicants to produce that degree of
- effervescence which seems to be
thought necessary in these days of
ultra social affairs, are one of the
most dangerous elements with which
the church and the law have to con-
tend. We hope that the slumbering
conscience of the general public in the
matter of temperance will be revived
by this campaign of 1911 which was
brought about by the liquor interests
with the avowed intention of over
turning the law. We hope it will
start a new epoch of material progress
and that the effect of the revival will
be one of marked advancement in the
affairs of the Pine Tree State, and
that the liquor. evil will receive its
death blow in this campaign.