The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-09-27
by ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

BY ESTHER 1niFTfN WHILE.
Curious are women.
Women are inclined to be anarchists
They want revolution. Not eyolu
ton.
They refuse to recognize the fact
that humanity advances only by the
latter.
Rarely by the former.
There is the -Women's Christian
Temperance Union, in instance.
The writer has nothing but profound
number among their leaders and ad
herents the best feminine element in
this country.
Best" morally, spiritually, intellec
tually and socially.
Their propaganda is benefcent
one.
And embraces many phases of So
cial activity.
Their special raison d'etre, however
has long since been outlived-a per.
sonal crusade against the liquor traf.
fc.
But they still hold to their revolu.
tionary tenets in regard to the latter
They still flaunt the red flag.
And there can be no manner of
doubt that their advocacy of it's entire
abolition for so many years has done
much to modify public sentiment to-
ward that end.
But they refuse to recognize that
that end is being attained by evolu-
ton.
That the drink habit in both kind
and degree has not the modicum of
federation it possessed even half CEN
fury ago, nor yet twenty-five years
since.
As to the comparisons of greater
period of time-say seventy-fve or a
hundred years ago-these are so obvi-
Gus that he who runs may read
1t was nothing then for men to drink
themselves under the table every day
In their own houses or as guests of
others either alone or in parties.
Such conditions are not .now tolerat.
ed
Fifty years hence present ones will
be almost eliminated and one hundred
years will find them a tradition.
Nor is anything to be gained by the
members of this organization lambas St
ling Beveridge.
Two years ago when Senator Bev-
eridge spoke in the Coliseum In this
| city story went the rounds that he
was unified to appear.
This is absolutely untrue
But this statement was made by
member of the w. C. r. u. yesterday.
The facts concerning this story are
these:
A reporter on local paper who
wished to make a record of some sort
wrote an article to this effect. Not
that he disliked Senator Beveridge.
But he wanted to make sensation
Youthful reporters are frequently
obessed, with this desire and, profess
sionally, 1t is legitimate.
That is, the desire is legitimate and
II 1t can be accomplished in the proper
channels, is commendable.
But the reporters discretion was not
equalled by his valor.
Connected with an alleged Demo-
cratic organ it was "up to him" to
make out bad case against the cele-
brated Republican.
And this he did
1t is hard to nail lie.
Or trap false story.
Their effect Is never lost A denial
never reaches the same or as large a
public as the original allegation. Some
body will hand it on and others pass
1t along and 1t will go down the ages
and stick in history, even If obscurely.
Nor is the further statement made
by the member of this body that the
Progressives. adopted a rotten old
platform that was used by the stand
pat Republicans two years ago." true.
This. presumably, may have had
reference to their declaration on tenn
perance
But the truth is that the Progressive |
platform declares for county option |
until the adoption of the initiative, ref |
erendum and recall. And when the lat |
ter is accomplished the temperance |
question will be taken out of politics
and can be legislated upon on it's So
cial merits or dement's.
Presumably this statement had ref
erence only to the temperance phases
since the Progressive platform in it's
was about as unlike the stand
pat Republican Of any day as light
differs from the dark.
The trouble with these excellent
women is that they too frequently see
things out of focus
At tangent
No one ever gets anywhere through
and abuse. Nor yet
through determination to see things
from but one standpoint.
The advances that temperance has 4
made in the past half century are un- Il
believable and extraordinary.
No longer Is excessive drinking toll Il
Grated in public life 1t is absolutely
prohibited in many trades, businesses
md occupations.
What the temperance people want n
% do is to recognize we'll meaning pub
lie and social efforts in it's possible
Iorm.
And not damn every effort toward i
he correction of an evil that has had
ts grip on humanity since the begin
1ing OF time. II
No social reform was ever accom-
,lished through sudden and revolution