Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-10-15
PATTERSON AND PROHIBITION

straightout prob / itionist
is a prophecy that is being freely |
made. 1t is entirely within the
list of probabilities, that is, if he
continues to fight with the moral
and Christian element of our cit.
izenship. Now that he no longer
serves the interests of the liquor
hosts, the conviction will soon
be forced upon him, by their cor.
rupt attacts on decency, their dis.
regard of law and morals, that
the liquor traffic brings evil and
that continually. He will come
to say with another who has been
over the same road. The liquor
traffic will not be reformed, hence
must be destroyed
Pattersons attitude is, that
since law cannot prevent the use
of intoxicants, and this is true
then the traffic should be regula'
ted, made law-abiding and decent
And this would be, we must con
fess an ideal condition, with ev'
cry place where drinks are offer
ed for sale, clean, orderly and
moral; leaving it with the con-
science of every man whether he
drink the poison or leave it alone,
developing the sturdy qualities
of manhood which God.given
free moral agency and response
bility demands; a social condition
where every man is strong, and
none are weak, where every man
is capable of caring for himself
in all of life's complexities, and
none need hear the God-call to be
his brothers keeper" But such
condition is millenial dream,
a wild hazy fancy OF altruism,
beside which the extreme vaga-
ry of puritan fanaticism grows
pale and dim.
In such society neither laws
nor government would be needed
as every man would be master OF
himself.
1t is a condition not a theory
that confronts us. The liquor
traffic is essentially immoral,
lawless and anarchistic: a natural
foe to decency and order, and all
ways has been and always will
be. In the first place the liquor
traffic does not want to be re-
formed, and the large majority
of its friends and champions Sus-
tain its benefic1aries in this at
titude. On the other hand the
bulk of those who oppose it as it
is, oppose it altogether. The
minority which wants reforma.
ton and regulation is too small
to be factor in the fight. This
was illustrated in the recent
mayoralty contest in Nashville,
when the people divided on this
very issue in two strong bodies,
of those favoring a wide'open
town with all its resultant hor.
rors and those favoring the alb
Solute wiping out of liquor.
Judge Meeks, who represented
the segregation and regulation
idea, received less than one tenth
of the votes in that city.
There are just two sides to
this question; you must be either
for or against liquor if you would
hope to effect anything: the two
armies are organized and facing
each other ready for the fray
there is no place in this warfare
for guerillas or bushwhackerS,
you must march with one regular
army or the other; there is nc
middle ground for real men, the
issue is liquor or no liquor.
If Patterson does not desert
the army of decency and Sobriety,
in whose ranks he now is march.
ing, every shot he fires, every
effort he makes will be against
the forces of liquor; and every
hostile bullet directed at his heart
will come from liquor; Just as
the poisoned arrow which has al.
ready touched and scared his
quivering flesh came from the
bowString of lawless liquor adj
vocateS. II is question of how
long he will shoot and be shot at,
by the enemies of law and gov.
ar,,,ent heforP he counes ovev