Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-10-23
MAJORITY OF SUCCESSFUL
MEN TEMPERATE DRINKERS
AS Many Broken Homes Result From
Indiscriminate Use of Tongue as
From Use of Intoxicants.

of the correspondents have lived in dry
towns and states. We have refused to
publish any communication attacking in
the smallest way the personal character
of any one.
The writer of the following article is
a woman of prominence and high social
standing, and one of those "Good Wo-
men," She is not ashamed of her ideas
nor is she afraid Of a boycott from those
may differ with her, but her fine sense
of mOdesty abhors notoriety, hence the
secretary is permitted to give her name
and address to any one who may desire
the same for any reason except curios
ity The article follows:
Prohibition is the question of the
hour in Salem; the business men are
publishing pertinent statistics, the MN.
listers are advocating theories; the w.
G. T. U. is presenting tales of darkened
homes. Will you publish few ideas
from the standpoint of an old-fashioned
newly-enfranchised woman9
"We are agreed that intemperanco
and drunkenness are evils that menace
the welfare of our homes and city. Is
prohibition the most logical, practical
remedyH Has it been unquestionably
successful where it has been triedl Oh.
viously not. So why not enact other
remedial laws which might prove more
practical and yet which would not in.
fringe upon any citizen s personal lib;
erty' Legislation against the drinking
of liquors over the bar would eliminate
the unlimited drinking and the system
Of treating now in vogue, which result
in the drunkenness we deplore. The
selling of labeled bottled goods in their
original packages, not to be opened at
the place of selling would eliminate the
bar and the adulteration of drinks,
recognized evil. Regulation of this
sort would be practicable and fair;
practicable because it could be enforc.
ed, because it would almost eliminate
drunkenness and fair because it would
permit the moderate, selfcontained in.
dividual to eat and drink as he might
wish-surely his right
90 In all ages and in all countries there
have been intoxicating stimulants which
the best people have used in modera.
tion. In our own country today the ma.
iority of our successful men are TEN.
perate drinkers, so old that there is lit.
tie probability of'their becoming intem.
perate before their allotted years are
spent, or so evenly balanced that their
appetites do not lead them to any ex.
tremes.
owe do not prohibit the selling of
books because some corrupt their minds
by reading immoral publications; we lo
not prohibit the manufacture Of corsets
because some women ruin health and
temper by unhygienic dressing; we do
not prohibit the association Of our
young men and women, though white
slavery exists; we do not prohibit the
gossip or nagging Of women though
aver there are as many broken homes
and hearts resulting from the indiscrim.
mate use Of the tongue as from the use
Of intoxicants We try to regulate
these other factors of life to lessen their
evil element; why not so regulate the
selling Of stmulantsl
60 In general way we are accustom
ed to consider drinking masculine vice
and gossip a feminine vice. One may
be as detrimental as the other, and both
result from unrestrained or misdirected
sociabilty; yet socability is the human
trait upon which aret built our best or
ganizations,
1.-The saloon meets demand or IL
would not exist; it meets n legitimate
demand, else you would find only unde.
sirable citi2ens in front of its bar; II
has an evil side, or prohibition would
not be before ms to decide upon. Can
we not legislate to eliminate as much as
is possible the evil, and retain those
features which respond to a legitimate
demandl
The wealthy man has his club for ex
cmsively masculine society, but the ma
iority Of our citizens can not take ad
vantage Of club life For women there
are provided rest rooms over the city
and at home we have our own system
Of social life. But where shall the
farmer refresh himself after long
cold drivci Where shall the busy man
find just the sort Of lunch he wants
served without waitingi And whoever
heard Of vigorous man craving float.
ing island and pink lemonadel The
saloons are not so wholly bad. They
recognize, with laudable enterprise, o
very practical need and even in our
city Of churches, they are the only ones
who have provided an exclusively men p
resort, the democratic spirit Of which
appeals to the stranger within our
gates, 10 the workman in his everyday