Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-17
The Basis of All Evil.

More and more are thinking people
reaching the hard and fast conclusion,
and more and more is that conclusion
being confirmed by scientific research.
analysis and experiment, that intoxi-
cants and drugs are the groundwork
of all modern evil. Education has
rooted out old superstitions, as it has
triumphed over one after another. of
all sorts Of diseases and ills, but social
customs and traditions, inspired, kept
alive and desperately promoted by
selfish commercialismA are still infiict-
ing awful penalties upon the human
family. Can education and Christian
organization, acting with business pre-
cision and persistence, overcome these
worst of all relics of barbarism? We
believe it is possible, and we are con-
fident that civilizedd. safe and sane So
ciety is now hearing the truth from a
great variety of sources that it must
and will heed.
At Boston, Sunday night, Prof. De-
Witt G. Wilcox, NJ. D., of Boston Uni
versity. and president of the American
Institute Of Homeopathy. declared:
~ thoroughly believe that if sensual
ity and alcoholism were today aboI-
ished from the face of the earth
chronic invaIidism, deformities, pre-
mature deaths, blindness, feeble mind
edness and all kinds of insanity would
be as rare among the human race as it
now is among lower animals.
What has been accomplished in
commercial reforms through publicity
can in the same measure be accom-
plished through publicity on moral
questions. particularly in this specific
question of the social evil. am thor
oughly convinced that the present day
conditions demand that venereal dis
eases should be reported the same as
other disease-spreading affections"
DR.. Wilcox declared that if the
drinking Of alcoholic beverages were
absolutely abolished the social evil
would be ripped up the back and its
spinal cord severed" He suggested
registration of names of sufferes from
venereal diseases and the refusal of
marriage licenses to such persons not
officially declared cured, as the next
step toward the solution of the social
evil problem.
Here is common sense and justice of
the "pitiless publicity variety referred
to by President Wilson. 1t will BE-
fiercely opposed. Of course, by tbs
knights Of darkness and by selfish in
terests and their tools, first as an in
jury to good business" and second. as
interfering with the personal liber-
ties Of libertines, white slavers and
saloon thugs. Certain high and
mighty social organizations acting as
handmaidens for the devil, will get up
on their hind legs and yowl, and will
socially ostracize" men who think
and act for morality and posterity.
But We believe the days of decency
were never so close upon us and COM
ing SO rapidly as in the present hour.
The maddened shrieks and threats of
evil but advertise it's own distress.
Our first great duty, however, Is to
remove our governments partnership
from the firm Of Devil & Co. Like
Russia we are in the business of SELL
ing the souls and bodies Of thousands
Of human beings for few accursed
millions Of revenue, annually. Ma
tional prohibition Of the booze traffic,
| drug traffic, white slave traffic and
social evil, is the next evidence of
sanity. cleanliness and Godliness with
which America should clothe herself.