St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-03-06

TO important legislation on the HQ-
uOr question.
Not until 1898, 10 years ago, was
the Anti-Saloon League organized
in Ohio. 1t has grown into a ma
tional movement organized in 43
states and territories.
A remarkable movement towards
prohibition and local option began
in the southern states in 1907 I'm
in Georgia, had voted no license I'M
til only 81 of the LAG counties were
voting ives" Tennessee has local
option in all but a few counties.
North Carolina has so out of go
counties voting mo license" Ala
bama SO of the Sc; Kentucky 81 of
119; Texas 152 of the $50; South
Carolina all over the state with the
exception of 10 cities, In short in
southern states IL of the 27 millions
of people are under local option,
with the vote having the right en-
phasis.
/ wish now to say word as to
things that help and things that
hinder in theonward sweep of tenn
perance reform.
J..
decisive individual institution or or
ganization helps.
The press helps. The new atti-
tude of the secular press in this
matter is significant. Time was
when abstainers and prohibitionists
served as a butt of ridicu1e in the
daily and comic papers. In the bet
ter class of dailies the attitude has
changed to one of sympathy. In spite
of the large revenue to be derived
from liquor advertisements the bet
ter class of papers now refuse them.
In 1907 five of the best magazines
notified the brewers and distillers
that contracts for liquor lads"
would not be renewed.
In 1906 a prominent weekly made
something of stir in showing up
the quack and patent medicines
that in great quantities have so long
harmed a gullible' public. 1t show
ed how many of those"cure alls"
contain from 40 to 80 per cent of
alcohol. Thus it reduces the sale
of such nostrums among farmers
and villagers. How many of the
Swamp Roots, Spring Bitters and
the like are only a large per cent
of poor whiskey with enough harm
less roots in them to dodge the
spirit of the law?
Another thing aids in temperance
reform. The gathering and COM
piling of statistics and facts showing
the relation between drink, crime,
poverty, drink and the greatest.t
help.
1t has been estimated that one
half of the insanity, 60 per cent of
the tuberculosis, 70 per cent of the
and there were 10000 last
year, rs per cent of all crime and
of all poverty are due to
drink
Sometimes indeed as between
poverty drink and the the greatest
evil, the social evil, it is hard to tell
which is cause and which is conse-
quence. But this we know, one
leads to the other. Where one is the |
other is and there will it be also
The two latter are invariably found |
in one place like the head and tail
of a snake.
Still another aid in temperance |
reform. The attitude taken by GER
tain business interests today is full |
of meaning.
A notice served on the employees
roads including Pennsylvania and |
New York Central lines reads: !
'fThe use of intoxicants while on
duty is prohibited; their habitual |
use or frequenting of places where
they are sold is sufficient cause for /
An increasing number of roads |
are cutting out the word "habituar'
and the clause while on duty" and
are dem anding strict abstinence on
the part of employees.
Life insurance companies too are
studying the health of their pat
rons. Several British and American
are offering better rates
to the total abstainer.
All this is in accord with the
statements of Dr.. Henry Smith Will
liams who agrees with those who
regard alcohol as a posion and /
scouts the pernicious doctrine that
it gives increase Of muscular power.
g. Turning for a moment to some
hindrance to temperance reform.
Two of those things are appetite and
greed. or love of personal (selfish) |
gain.
AS to the appetites that cause men
TO live for the carnal rather than for
the Divine in them we need not in
sist.
AS to greed. What is there that
men will not do for gold? Judas
sold his master for a few pieces of
silver: and today men for gain, trade
in all the sins and weaknesses of
their fellows.
The saloon keeper seeks his vic
tim for gold Prostitution is en-
for gold. Too much of the
same sDirit runs thru all life. The
'sresDectable" business man scores
the dive keeper because Of greed and
rrime. vet he himself dare not stand
where he ought in moral reform for
fear it will harm his business. Z"
MANY a poItician dares not attack
the LIQUOR interests for fear of losing
political support.
Long ago it was said, Thou shalt
have none other gods before me-
An even greater authority said,
Seek first the kingdom - But moral II