The Prescott daily news., 1914-02-02
PROHIBITION SPIRIT.

| PROHIBITION SPIRIT.
Excerpts from Address before the
Fortieth Annual Convention of the M
tional Woman's Christian Temperance
Union.)
tBy MRS L. NJ. n. STEVENS freS'-
There is abroad an immense senu-
ment in favor of prohibition-a senu-
ment often uneXpressed. unwritten, al
most unknown even by the possessors.
Today as never before the spirit or
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 fly, in
fected food, unsanitary houses, rae
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 a necessity for medl-
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 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 ami 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
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 a test of mem
bership in the w c. T. U. All of the
forty departments have been created
as as help in promoting total abstin-
encs. Witness the pretty scene of the
young mother bringing to the w. G.. T
! L. meeting her little child; sacredly
dedlcating 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 lie
/ gioners, the still greater number who
are being taught total abstinence in
the Sunday schools. and the 10000
GOO youth of the public schools, emit
/ 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 a
half of persons. have a rule to the eff
feet that the use of intoxicants by
employees while on duty is prohibited.
Their use aud the frequenting OF
places where they are sold is sutIi-
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 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 10 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 II If any one wants to
drink let the man on the other side of
the bar do it,
For years the w. c. r. 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 G.. T. u. is anti-liQuor
|