News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-12-01
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PROHIBITION VICTORIES.

|
Excerpts from the address of Miss
Anna A. Gordon, president National
Woman's Christian Temperance union,
before the forty-second annual conven-
ton of that organization, held in Se-
| attic, Wash, October 9-14, 1850
| Looking backward over the past
| twenty months and forward to the
| year 1916 one might epitomize the
temperance movement in retrospect as
"a 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
In the Panama Canal zone; the out
having of the liquor traffic in Virginia
Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Ari-
iona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Alabama
and South Cardinal the majority vote
for statewide prohibition in both
branches of Utahs legislature; the
triumph of the enemies of the saloon
in large number of counties and
cities; the unfolding by the United
States Supreme court of the constitu-
tionality of the prohibition provision
of the Indian Notwithstanding one
fifth of Minnesota dry; the victorious
prohibition elections in forty-five of
Minnesota's counties; the battle royal
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 $1,250,000 a month of the internal
revenue collections on distilled spirits
despite the fact that wines are paying
a high tax as 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 the marked decrease of
their liquor advertising; the growth
of antialcohol sentiment in the med
ical world-these, with the indorse-
ment Of national constitutional pro-
hibition by hundreds of influential Or
CARNATIONS 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 Punishment of John
Do ,1a huc
cial, and the political life of the civil
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
deepest-seated, 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. G. 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-
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
but we do aim to put stop
to the systematic, organized debauch-
ing of our youth through thousands
and tens of thousands of agencies
the land"
1t is not difficult for the student of
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. c. T. U. mother at the twi-
light hours to offer his childlike pray
err for the temperance cause, as her
hand rested tenderly upon his little
head, is today a temperance warrior
battling against homes most relent-
les foe. Boys and girls who twenty
five ana thirty years ago were taught
by hite-ribboners to shout, "Tremble,
King Alcohol, we shall grow up" and
whose heads hearts. hands and feet
received temperance training in pub
lie school. Sunday school, and Loyal
Legion, are grown up,
and are rapidly dethroning King Alco-
hol.
The history of our reform proves
hat it is well-nigh impossible to take
from state constitution
when once placed there by the voters
If a commonwealth. Constitutional
prohibition is not dependent upon
party politics. Unlike statutory
aw it is not at the mercy of each in
coming legislature. The liquor traffic
defies the laws of the pro-
libition states. Nothing short of ma
ion-wide prohibition will give to these
states the power to effectively enforce
heir prohibition laws.