Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1913-11-20

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Conducted by the National woman's
Christian Temperance Union.)
~o~o-~o-o-ooo~~~~~~-
PROHIBITION SPIRIT.
Excerpts from Address before the
Fortieth Annual Convention OF the Ma.
tional Woman's Christian Temperance
Union.)
By MRS. L. M. n; STEVENS. Prs'i-
There is abroad an immense senti.
ment in favor Of prohibitions 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 today's civilization ia to prohibit
or destroy any thing which is danger
Gus to the life of the people. Tho
hook worm, the mosquito, the fly, In
fected food. unsanitary houses, fac
tories or stores with unsafe founda-
tons, are included in this list. and
we might add war. pestilence. famine.
hurricane and food; yet the use Of
alcoholic drink causes greater loss Of
life than all these combined. Scientific
research reveals that intoxicating
liquors are not necessity for medi-
cal, scientific or pharmaceutical pur-
poses. The sociologistS compile stat
istics plainly showing that strong
drink causes poverty. misery. degrade
ton 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 finan.
ciers who have thought liquor revenue
was necessary are learning how to
reckon profit and less 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. G. T. u. All of the
forty departments have been created
as as help in promoting total abstln-
ence. Witness the pretty scene Of the
young mother bringing to the W. G. T..
U. meeting her little child; sacredly
dedicating him or her to a life Of pur-
ity and Of total abstinence. the child
being received as a white ribbon re.
cruit. What an impressive. imposing
sight 1t would be, could there pass be-
fore us in joyous parade the hundreds
of thousands Of Loyal Temperance LIE.
gioners, the still greater number who
are being taught total abstinence In
the Sunday schools. and the 10000
900 youth Of the public soooois. sntt
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 q million and q
half OF persons, have a rule TO the ef-
feet that the use Of intoxlcants by
employees while on duty is prohibited.
Their use and the frequenting OF
places where they are sold ia sum
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 Ell.
cheney Of their employees Is lessened
by the use OF strong drink, even
though taken In moderation. Insur-
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. II any one wants 10
drink let the man on the other side Of
the bar do IT,"
For years the W. G. 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 II is not alone the saloon,
but the liquor traffic we seek to de-
stroy. The w. c. T. U. Is anti.hQuor
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 II may be called. We
make no distinction between distilled
or fermented or malt liquors.