The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1915-04-22
THE REMAINING PROBLEM loF
TEMPERANCE.

-fldE tN'| $500 ~
Mitchell has voted against license.
The other time that this happened,
the city returned to the saloons at
the very next election. Those who
are opposed to license will therefore
flnd their task to consist Of prevent
Ing asretlrn to license after the trial
OF one year without 1t. Therefore it
IA Of Importance to them that no mis-
takes be made I'M this probationary
year.
It Is we'll not to forget that there
are as many Incorporate men and
women In Mitchell today as there
werey YESTERDAY. Tho mere refusal to
license the sale OF liquor has not of
itself made any Of them more temper
ate. Indeed temperance is a big
thing, beside which the result OF To-
al option is q little thing. Fol there
is intehdperance Of speech. intemper-
ance In eating, intemperance in SEN
suality. intemperance In thought.
When men become really temperate,
they Will be temperate in conduct.
regardless OF the presence or absence
of opportunities to be Incorporate.
1t goes without saying that the clos
Ing OF the saloon may remove temp
tstion from those who have not had
the moral stamina to make them
selves temperate and also from those
whose youth may lead them into
wrong paths In quest of adventure.
IL II to this extent only that 1T can
30 said that ills N any degree the
duty of society to prohibit the open
sale 81 liquor.
But as II happens, there is no law
70 prevent the shipment of large
quantities Of liquor into Mitchell.
This traffic can be carried on with
iinpunity. whether saloons are run
ming Of not. szsTherefore the closing
ri the saloonsin the locality only,
does not BY any means wholly re-
move the opportunity to practice in
temperance. That is but one of the
many reasons why intemperance is a
much bigger cause than that Of local
prohlbstion.
Statewide prohibition is likely to
b more effective than prohibition by
municipality, and national prohibit
tion would be, the most successful of
all methods. But we are still some
years away from national prohibition.
So 1t ii that those who are real adj.
yocates sof the cause of real temper
ance will undertake some sort of
constructive work to follow the sue
cess Of efforts to destroy the saloons.
At II nothing new to say that many
men-perhaps the majority-who pa
trorixe the saloon, do 30 because it is
the one opportunity given them to
tndnlee the social instinct. Man
- 8 gregarious creature. There
should be some other gathering
places to supplant the saloon. Rail-
road OFFICIALS recognized this by their
construction OF club rooms and their
aid for railroad Y. MsC. A. organizar
lions. The moving picture theatre
shassreally been an enemy of the sa-
loon, because It has provided a pleas
ant place wherein to spend the
nickel or dime that otherwise would
80 for beer. It is not at all fair to
the man who drinks to regard him
simply as i depraved and morally
hopeless individual. The difference
sbetween him. and his more proper
fellow citizen may be very small in
deed. SO far as moral scruples are
concerned. It were much better to
take the view that it is the highest
social duty to help him, to provide
him with amusement OF diversion so
that he VIII not be obliged to go to
the saloon simply for the reason that
a r the only place open to him for
converse with his fellows.
The Republican hes ncser been.
able to agree with those Who argue
that the sale Of liquor. licensed or
lptherwise. y good for the business of
the community. There is no sophis-
~ equal to the task Of ,demonstrat-