The American issue. [volume], March 01, 1912, Page 9, Image 11

About The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

                
How It is Done
One of the most glaring falsehoods—their number
is legion—and the one most frequently conjured up by
the high priests of the liquor traffic, is in reference to
the actual conditions obtaining in “dry” districts.
There is a reason for this. In a free-for-all fist
fight, one naturally enough pays most attention to the
opponent dealing the hardest blows. There is abso
lutely no question about the expulsion of the saloon
greatly improving financial, social and domestic con
ditions in a community. This fact, gathered from
actual experience by the most reliable citizens in thou
sands of communities, is incontrovertible and is dealing
staggering blows to the liquor traffic. In order to
minimize and weaken the effect of it, the liquor people
either profess a sudden spasm of righteous indignation
against the “bootlegger” and “blindtiger” alleged to
exist in “dry” districts, or they dig up some frayed,
down-and-out politician or newspaper correspondent,
a craven creature who has more money lust than con
science, and send him into “dry” territory for the
specific purpose of falsifying the facts and reporting.
These subsidized emissaries, like their prototypes long
ago, “take the money and do as they are taught.” They
always find what they go after. They report “blind
tigers” and “bootleggers” galore, “shocking condi
tions, etc.
These faked-up “reports” are given widest pub
licity. Then the liquor dealers and their stool-pigeons
everywhere throw up their clean hands in holy horror
at the number of illicit dealers claimed to have been
found by these liquor mercenaries in “dry” territory.
The liquor press, which always plays the Friday-role
to the liquor interests, runs these “authentic reports”
under displayed headlines, and comments editorially
on “Prohibition don’t prohibit” or some other up-to
date theme. These liquor assertions have been cate
gorically contradicted, times without number, and
that, too, by testimony that would be admitted as com
petent in any court, yet the liquor dealers keep right
on resurrecting these falsehoods and rehashing them in
the hope that the gullible may be deceived thereby.
The United States Internal Revenue Record, No. io,
shows that there are more speakeasies under license
than under prohibition. But a stubborn fact like that
is of small moment to your liquor dealer when it is
against his business. He will continue to bemoan and
to exaggerate the number of “speakeasies” in “dry”
towns. He does it for revenue only. He is impelled
by the fatuous delusion that he can always deceive the
people. In that, however, the deceiver deceives
himself.
The Rapprochement of the Temperance
Forces
Many diverse views have been held as to the best
method of combatting the liquor traffic. Doubtless,
these divergent views have been held just as honestly
on the one side as on the other. As Carlyle says in
the “Sartor Resartus,”’ the overwhelming majority of
men are entirely honest in their opinions and actions.
The man worshipping his idol does not do so from any
mental or moral obliquity. He does so because he
honestly believes it to be right and for his good. The
fault lies not in his intent but in the light he has. The
light men have on their problems is as diverse as the
individuals themselves, and diverse light necessarily
leads to diverse opinions. We are under every obliga
tion to follow the light we have on any question until
fuller light is given. The things presently seen to be
true, must be held in strong conviction of their
truth. Further, it is our right and duty to propagate
these persuasions of the truth in every proper way
possible. These facts are being recognized. It is not
so clearly nor so generally recognized however, that
in the propagation of our deep personal convictions,
we must safeguard others in their right to their own
opinion. Disregard of this always leads to intolerance
and persecution. It is high time for us to recognize
that persons entertaining views diverse from our own,
may be just as honest and candid in their opinions and
have as much right to them as we to our own. They
may not be as intelligently held, may in fact be entirely
wrong, but it is our mission, in a Christ-like ministry,
to let our light shine in the hope that they may come
to see as we do. Vituperation rarely convinces and is
a virtual coming into court to confess the weakness
of our cause.
The honest advocacy by strong men, strongly con
vinced of the soundness of their position as to the bes
method of dealing with the liquor traffic, naturally
enough, gave rise in the past to most unfortunate di
visions in the temperance ranks. But shall we in the
presence of a foe, flushed with power and confident of
victory, rise no higher than to engage in an unseemly
wrangle over who shall be the greatest? Happily this
condition is giving place. Its injustice and strategic
folly are being seen as never before. The ranks are
rapidly closing up. The artillery-fire of the temper
ance forces is being concentrated on the common ene
my with telling effect. Fraternization and co-opera
tion have practically arrived. A merger of all lines of
temperance is not expected nor is it desirable. Each
organization has a definite work to do in its own way.
Let each bid the other “God speed” and “Quit you
like men” as they take up the battle-guage in the
place where strong men fight. The issue is not un
certain.
It is altogether possible, even probable, that none
of the existing temperance organizations will marshall
the temperance hosts in the final overthrow of the
liquor traffic. So be it. Most certainly it would be
personally agreeable to have all men come to our way
of thinking and to have our opinion crowned with the
laurels; but personal or organization victory is not
the end sought. The goal is nothing less than the ab
solute-, irrevocable destruction of the liquor traffic.
Let this boon come by the hand of whomsoever it
may, we will be content, so it comes.
A united temperance army gives brightest prom
ise of the coming victory.
Any business which excludes the men who follow
it from membership in the great fraternal organizations
of the country cannot be consistently licensed or
legalized.