The Republican journal., 1912-02-15
WHY l FAVOR PROHIBITION.
ROBERT J. BURDETTE.

Now about the power of prohibitory
laws to prohibit-the laws of the State
against murder do not entirely prevent
murder. But, nevertheless, am opposed
to licensing one murderer to every SO
many thousand persons, even on petition
of majority of the property owners in
the block, that we may have all the muir
der that is desirable in the community
under wise regulations, with little in
come for the municipality. l believe in
the absolute prohibition of murder.
The laws of the country prohibiting
stealing do not entirely prevent stealing.
Nevertheless. | am opposed to a high
license system of stealing, provided that
all theft shall be restricted to certain
authorized thieves, who shall steal only
between the hours of say 6 a. m. and
1870 p. M, except Sunday, when no
stealing shall be done except by stealth,
entrance to be made in all cases on that
day by the back door, and at the thief s
risk. l believe in laws that absolutely
forbid theft at any hour, on any day of
the week. And, on the same ground,
and just as positively, do | believe in the
prohibition of the liquor traffic. And l
never said did not. And did say that
did. And do.
do say that the best way to make a
man temperate man is to teach him not
to drink. But saloon is not kinder
garten of sobriety. Your town is under
no obligation to any saloon. Ali that it
is, in responsibility and permanent pros
perity, it has grown to be without the
assistance of the liquor traffic.
1t is deliberately claimed by some peo-
pie who appear to be sane on other SUBJ
jects, that properly to instruct sober
people in ways of sobriety, and to teach
total abstainers the beauty and virtues
of temperance, you must license the sell
ing Of liquor in the town. The man who
originated that idea ought to have it
stuffed and exhibited at the Panama EX
position, and he should be leaned up be-
side it as part of the exhibit.
AS to Prohibition in Pasadena, if any
liquor man thinks there is big money and
a safe thing in running a'"blind pig in
Pasadena, let him come here and try it.
If he has airy love for his liberty and
consult the fellows who have tried it, if
he can find them; we can't. They are in
hiding some where out in the desert.
Running" a ''joint" in Pasadena is like
running powder mill in smelling FUR
but it doesn't last long enough to be
profitable.
If the saloonmens insist on quoting me
on this topic, let them commit this to
memory, that they may repeat it as they
need it; do not know one good thing
about the saloon. 1t is an evil thing that
has not one redeeming thing in allits his
tory to commend it to good men. 1t
breaks the laws Of God and man. 1t
desecrates the Sabbath; it profanes the
name of religion; it defiles public order;
it tramples under foot the tenderest feel
ings of humanity; it a moral pestilence
that blights the very atmosphere of town
and country; it is stain upor honesty; a
blur upon purity; a clog upon progress;
check upon the nobler impulses; it is an
incentive to falsehood deceit and crime.
Search through the history of this
hateful thing, and read one page over
which some mother can bow her CRATE
fui head and thank God for all the sa-
loon did for her boy There is no such
record All its history is written in
tears and blood, with smears of shame
and STAINS Of crime, and dark blots of
disgrace. The Standard.