Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1917-02-23
BOOZE BUSINESS" Lecture.
REV, VALIANT ADDRESSES LARGE
AUDIENCE ON TEMPERANCE
BOASTS A FEW

Rev. f. +. Service ana the Deneu1c-
ton BY Rev. B. T. Kennard.
In his opening remarks Rev. Valiant
stated that this was the first wet city
in which he had conducted an evan
gelistic campaign, and he expressed
himself as being sorrv that the sa-
looms still exist in this city. He said
that the prohibition question is the
biggest question of the day, even
greater than the war. 1t may not be
talked about so much, he said, but
nevertheless it is a question Of more
importance.
Before giving lecture on a subject
of this kind in a city where the sa-
looms exist, Mr.. Valiant said, he al
ways paid the saloons Of that city
visit to see what the actual conditions
were, and this he did in this city, he
said. He said he made the rounds OF
the seventeen saloons in this city and
saw there the beginner, young boy,
under age, and also the finished pro-
duet, an old man, who, he said, was
in such q condition that he did ro
know enough to put on his coat. the
speaker said that On visiting the sa,
looms he invited the proprletors and
barteuders to attend his meeting on
Sunday. and in each instance he was
treated very cordially. "I have moth
ing against the saloonmen, personal
lv.'' Mr.. Valiant said, "it's the bus
mess that I'm opposed to, and 1 wish
that the saloonmen could be brought
to see the question as see it. If
could linz up on this stage all the
men whom + saw in the saloons of
this city yesterday, in the condition
that thew were in, there would be no
need for me to give this lecture; the
s;oh4 ~ these men would be an object
lesson in ITSELF
The finish of the liquor traffic in
this country by 1920 is absolutely Ger,
tain, Mr.. Valiant said. He remarked
that at big prohibition convention
in Atlanta, Georgia, a few years ago,
the slogan nationwide prohibition by
1920" was adopted. Many people rldl-
culed the idea at that time, he said,
and called the temperance workers. ia
natics. Now, however, it is .begln-
ming to dawn upon most people ana
particularly upon those engaged in the
liquor business that the temperance
workers are going to win and that
slogan will come true. If those en-
gagged in the liquor business have a
little bit of honor, he said, they will
get out of the business before they
are forced out.
Six reasons were advanced by the
speaker in favor Of prohibition, and
why it should win. The first was that
we ought to have chance. We have
been working for prohibition SO long,
Mr.. Valiant said, that we should have
the opportunity to show what We can
do in the matter. The dry element
renresen+sa the largest constituency, he
said, because majority of the Unit
ed States is now dry, and therefore
prohibition ought to have chance to
show its strength.
The second reason advanced by the
sneaker was that the saloon has no
Inherent right to live. The United
States supreme court has ruled to this
effect at least dozen times and state
supreme courts have made similar
rulings. Mr.. Valiant branded it as a
disgrace to city to license a saloon,
as it is contrary to the constitution
of the United States to do so. The
licensing Of the sale Of liquor, he said,
got its start during the Civil war,
when it was ofund necessary to
adopt this manner Of taxation in or
der to raise money to carry on the
war. President Lincoln agreed to the
liquor tax only on the condition that
it be removed after the close of the
war, but the pledge was never full
filled. Mr.. Valiant pleaded with the
people to come forward and redeem
this pledge, which has so long been
viO1ated
In connection with the second rea-
son, that the saloon has no inherent
right to live, Mr.. Valiant stated that
licensing a saloon does not mean reg
ulating it, and he took fling at the
administration, of this city which he
claimed failed to regulate the sSloons
and to enforce the state laws govern
ing same.
As the third reason Mr.. Valiant
gave immortality. He stated that the
saloon is grossly immoral and is re-
sponsible for the greater part of this
nations poverty and crime. AS an
instance he said that in certain
prison in this country, with popu-
lation of 800, when the inmates wer6
asked how many of them laid the
stripes thew were wearing to liquor,
zoo dAOoC3 AuuAAICAAS CAAOV AAHuoA -Ae~~A
caused their downfall. From the
standpoint Of paupers and criminals
alone the saloon is not paying pro-
position, he said.
The fourth reason given was that
the saloon and liquor traffic destroy
a man, body and soul. As proof of the
injury caused by liquor Mr.. Valiant
read an article by leading authority
on this question which stated that one
pint of alchoho4 is sufficient to kill a
man instantly. BY drinking pint
of beer every day, the article stated,
at the end of year the person would
have taken over twelve quarts of al
cOhol.
AS his fifth reason Mr.. Valiant said
that the liquor traffic does not pay.
He gave figures regarding Little Falls
to prove his statement. Little Falls
has population of 5000 and has II
saloons. The annual drink bill is
$225,00e. and this is a very low est
mate. Undoubtedly it reaches 300 to
Ann +horaond dollars everv year. The