18 PROHIBITION. 



temperance the necessary outgroAvth of present conditions ? Men 

 first took to spirit, when their own got at a low ebb. It indicates 

 that our social conditions are abnormal. Buddha said there was no 

 need of getting drunk, for man was naturally enough intoxicated 

 through the Holy Ghost. Perhaps the angels live on pure alco- 

 hol, their organizations not being sufficiently gross to admit of a 

 relapse. However the Holy Spirit may be connected with alcoholic 

 spirit, we know that they are both derived from the same root. In 

 Avine and the vine, Jesus found many of his spiritual illustrations. 

 He even was called a wine bibber, and on one occasion turned dis- 

 tiller. At all events, so long as people are overworked, so long as 

 many can live in luxurious dissipation withoiit work, so long as 

 business is competitive gambling, so long as usury eats at the vitals 

 of the poor, so long as landlords deprive the people of homes, so 

 long as woman is a connubial appendage and children are the result 

 of passion, just so long will the natural and sweet wine of life, 

 which Buddha refers to, be unorganized and wanting, and the peo- 

 ple seek its counterpart m an artificial stimulus. 



PROHIBITION UNNECESSARY. 



Not only can prohibition not prohibit, it is entirely unnecessary 

 to call upon the State. What is there to hinder anyone, believing 

 in prohibition, from first prohibiting its use from himself ? Then 

 if lie is a cluu-ch member, wliat hinders him from endeavoring to 

 make the practice of temperance the sole condition of membership ? 

 If he conducts a manufacturing establishment, a railroad, or a 

 bank, I know of no law dictating whom he shall employ, or with 

 wliom he will have any dealings. He has a perfect right to not 

 speak to a man who drinks green tea, if lie chooses. And when an 

 association of such has converted the whole world to itself, as it can, 

 if it has the truth, there will then be prohibition. 



But no ; this is not the line of action the prohibitionists are the 

 most fond of working on. This course would necessitate some self 

 reliant, spontaneous virtue among themselves, and then who would 

 there be for theii to 'nvallop" ? Such a regime would never do; 

 t lie cause of the church and the cause of prohibition, would both 

 sufler therel^y. i 



PROHIHITION PROMOTES INTEMPERANCE. 

 Not only ha.s prohibition no right to prohibit, not only is it im- 



