Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-11-21
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Conducted by the National WomanL
Christian Temperance Union)
PROHIBITION SPIRIT.

PROHIBITION SPIRIT.
Excerpts from Address before the
Fortieth Annual Convention of the Ma
tional Woman's Christian Temperance
Union.)
By MRS, L. NJ. N, STEVENS. Presi-
dent)
There is abroad an immense sehti-
ment in favor of prohibition-a senti-
ment often unexpressed. unwritten, al
most unknown even by the possessors-
Today as never before the spirit OF
prohibition is in the air. The aim
of todays civilization is to prohibit
or destroy any thing which is danger
Gus to the life of the people. The
hook worm, the mosquito, the lily, IN
fected food, unsanitary houses, FAC
tories or stores with unsafe founda-
tions, are included in this list, and
we might add war, pestilence. famine,
hurricane and flood; yet the use OF
alcoholic drink causes greater loss OF
life than all these combined. Scientihc
research reveals that Intoxicating
liquors are not a necessity for medi-
cal. scientific or pharmaceutical pur-
poses. The sociologists compile stat
istics plainly showing that strong
drink causes poverty, misery, degrada-
tion and death. The commercial and
business corporations see Its damag-
ing, destructive effects and are estab-
fishing prohibitory laws of their own
forbidding the use of Intoxicating
liquor by their employees. The hnan-
ciers who have thought liquor revenue
was necessary are learning how TO
reckon profit and loss as applied to the
liquor trade.
Millions of our people are awake TO
the magnitude of the liquor business.
and believe it should be prohibited.
There are other millions who are not
educated in regard to the poisonous
nature and the terrible effects of alco-
hol. With renewed enthusiasm the
truth must be proclaimed from pulpit
and platform. in the highway and by
way, in Sunday school and public
school, and in the home: not only by
personal and public speech, but by
abundant dissemination of the best
temperance literature such as the
National w. C. T. U. publishing
house is ready to supply.
Total abstinence is the bed rock up
on which the w. C. T. u. has ever
! been building. The Total abstinence
pledge always has been test of mem
bership In the w. C. 7. U. All of the
forty departments have been created
as as help In promoting total abstin-
ence. Witness the pretty scene of the
young mother bringing to the w. c. i.
u. meeting her little child; sacredly
dedicating him or her to life OF pur-
ity and of total abstinence, the child
being received as white ribbon re-
cruit What an impressive, imposing
sight It would be, could there pass be-
fore us in joyous parade the hundreds
of thousands of Loyal Temperance Le-
| gioners. the still greater number who
| are being taught total abstinence in
| the Sunday schools, and the 100000
| 900 youth OF the public schools. enti-
tied by law to be taught the nature OF
alcohol and the damaging results OF
its use.
The voice of business is loudly
raised against strong drink The most
striking illustration of this is furnish
ed by the railroad companies. The
American railway companies. which
| employ upward OF a million and
half of persons. have rule to the ef-
feet that the use of intoxicants by
employees while on duty Is prohibited.
| Their use and the frequenting OF
| places where they are sold is sufii-
cient cause for dismissal. Other lines
of business are taking similar action.
not always from philanthropic mo-
tives. but for the sake of financial ad-
vantage. recognizing that the eff
| cheney of tkeir employees is lessened
by the use of strong drink, even
though taken in moderation. lnsur-
ance companies, athletic societies, and
various fraternal organizations are all
testifying to the ruinous results of
alcoholic beverages. Even the bar
tenders union in advertising for bar
| tenders calls for total abstainers, say
ing that booze hits the bartender just
as strongly as It hits the man in front
who pays for it. If any one wants to
drink let the man on the other side OF
the bar do it,
For years the w c. T. U. through
its DO Everything policy has been
| girdling the gigantic tree of the liquor
traffic. The tree that is girdled dies.
| The liquor traffic is doomed. Please
note that 1t is not alone the saloon,
| but the liquor traffic we seek to de-
stroy. The w. C. T. U. is anti-liquor
making. anti-liquor importing. anti
liquor selling in saloon, hotel, club.
public house, private house. on rail
road, on shipboard, in the Gothenburg
dispensary or any other place by
whatsoever name it may be called. We
make no distinction between distilled
or fermented or malt liquors.
NATURAL RECIII