Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1912-10-25
Minister Attacks Local Option.
(Rev. Alton NJ. Young in the Tenino


The prohibitionists, anti-saloon leag-
uers and others are spending a great
deal of energy to get laws passed in
the various states and parts of states
that will forever prohibit the manu-
facture and sale of Intoxicating liquors.
1t appears to me that such a law
starts at the wrong end of the question
and will not accomplish the good
results that the temperance workers
hope from it. While both my natural
instincts and secular education made
me a teetotlar and strong advocate
of prohibition. new facts have lately
been brought to my attention that
make me see the impossibility of abol-
ishing intemperance and drunkenness
by this means.
Man has used intoxicating drinks
for SO many centuries that 1t is diff
cult to prove whether the drink habit
is an innate desire that was created
with him or cultivated taste. How
ever that may be. these desires of men
have created a demand, and this de-
mand has brought into existence the
breweries and distilleries that manu-
facture the drinks, and the saloons
and hotels that sell them. BY enact
ing prohibition laws. we are there
fore dealing with the effect and not
with the cause. Dealing only with the
effect of a cause always leads to ex-
tremely inconsistent action, and in the
end results in no good being accom-
plished IL not actual harm.
Experiences in various districts have
shown that prohibition do not improve
the moral condition of a community.
In such districts one may go to the
express companies and order liquor
sent to them. or a doctors certificate
may be obtained for a very small sum
and the liquor bought In drug stores.
These are considered legitimate ways
even though the express charges may
be paid by the liquor dealer or reg
ular business Is made of the giving OF
doctors certificates. Such methods
not only lead to deception and fraud.
but also to larger consumption of
liquor by the purchasers.
On the other hand, when there are
prohibitory laws there are many lille
gal ways OF supplying the demand.
We find speak easies' in places diff
cult of access. AS these are run con-
trary to law there is no way Of control
ing them in such ways as will make
them respectable Touts are employed
to parade the streets and steer strang-
ers to them, and many other methods
are used which, to say the least, are
shady in their character.
With no other evidence. this should
convince even the most obstinate that
prohibition is antagonistic to Chris
tian teaching and morality, and is un-
natural.
Historical facts prove that prohibi-
ton has but recently been instilled in
to small part Of the Christian church,
but 1t is not one of the tenets Of the
Christianity. The vast majority of
the Christian church, both as to de-
nominations and membership. breaches
against intemperance. as did Christ.
but does not endorse nor believe In
prohibition.
The above mass Of evidence would
tend to prove that the only sensible
way to handle the liquor traffic would
be through educating the public up to
a temperate use of alcoholic drinks.
Together with this 1t is necessary to
control the industry with laws or rules
that will not allow 1t to run wild nor
to produce the rank poisons that are
often sold as stimulating drinks, es-
pecially under prohibftory laws.
If our teachers and preachers would
use their energies in teaching man.
kind to be temperate. and to control
the sale of alcoholic drinks in way
that would make it a clean business,
they would accomplish much more
good than in trying to pass laws that
attempt to force mans actions and
morals. By such education the
thoughtless citizen would be awakened
to the fact that it is he who has al
lowed the bad saloon to exist. and he
would then take measures for remov-
ing it's most Objectionable features.
hope that in this article l have shown
that nothing is to be gained, indeed
much is lost, by an Incorporate use Of
stimulants. l respect the high motives
of the advocates of prohibition, and
my object is merely to point out how
they defeat their own avowed objects