The Prescott daily news., 1915-10-28
PROHIBITION VICTORIES.

PROHIBITION VICTORIES.
 (EXcerpts from the address of Miss Anna A. Gordon, president National Woman's Christian Temperance union. before the forty-second annual conven- tion of that organization, held in Se- attle, Wash, October 9-14, 1915)
 Looking backward over the past twenty months and forward to the year. 1916 one might epitomize the temperance movement in retrospect as
 movement of victorious yesterdays and confident tomorrows.' These months chronicle an unprecedented number of prohibition victories. The temperance transformation of Russia: the antiliquor measures in effect in German, French and English military circles; the complete abolition of al- cohol in the United States navy and ln the Panama Canal zone the out lawing of the liquor traffic in Virginia. Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Ari- zona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Alabama and South Carolina; the majority vote for statewide prohibition in both branches of Utah's legislature; the triumph of the enemies of the saloon in large number of counties and cities; the upholding by the United States Supreme court of the constitu- tionality of the prohibition provision Of the Indian treaties-making one fifth of Minnesota dry; the victorious prohibition elections in forty-ive of nto' for prohibition in the District of Co., lumbia the total abstinence rules en- forced by many industrial and railroad corporations; the decrease at the rate of $1,250,0O0 a month of the internal revenue collections on distilled spirits despite the fact that wines are paying a high tax as a result of the emer- gency war tax enacted by the last con- gress; the enactment in prohibition states of striCter enforcement laws; the discussion of total abstinence and prohibition by press and popular mag azines, and tlIe marked decrease of their liquor advertising; the growth of antialcohol sentiment in the med ical world-these, with the indOrse- ment of n9tiOnal constitutional pro- hibition by hundreds of influential or ganizations and the outspoken decla- rations of men prominent in the off cial and political life of the United States and other nations in favor of prohibition and total abstinence have given a marvellous impetus to the movement for the banishment of John BarleyCorn from the business, the so- cial, and the political life of the civi- lized world The majority vote on the Sheppard Hobson bill in the United States house of representatives on December 22, 1914, even though it fell short of a decisive victory, was triumph for nationwide prohibition.
 Because the alcohol disease is the deepestseated, most chronic organic disease known to the body polite and body social, the permanent cure must be not only organic state legislation, but organic national legislation. The object of a national prohibition amend ment is to destroy the agency that debauches the youth of the land, The W. C. T. U. agrees with Congressman Richmond Pearson Hobson when he asserts: The liquor trust is wise enough to know that it cannot per petuate it's sway by depending on de- bauching grown people, so it uses an organic method of teaching the young to drink. We apply exactly the same method to destroy the traffic We do not try to make old drinkers stop drinking, but we do aim to put stop to the systematic. organized debauch- ing of our youth through thousands and tens of thousands of agencies throughout the land.
 
 It is not difficult for the student of temperance history to account for the deep conviction and the earnest work of many men and women who today are foremost in the great struggles against the drink monopoly. The boy who two score years ago was taught by a W. (. T. U. mother at the twi- light hours to Clter his childlike pray CT for the temperance cause, as her hand rested tenderly upon his little uedu, IS toud4 q JShlb "HOO Wal llol battling against homes most relent- les foe Boys and girls who twenty five ana thirty years ago were taught by white-ribboner to shout, "Tremble, King Alcohol. we shall grow upl' and whose heads hearts hands and feet received temperance training in pub lie school Sunday school, and Loyal Temperance Legion, are grown up, and are rapidly dethrc iug King Alec hol.