KEY. WM. BANCROFT HILL. 13 



succeeded well there, especially in the rural districts ; 

 but other States less favorably situated geographically, 

 and with a different population or larger cities, have 

 given it a trial and then abandoned it as a failure. Local 

 option at one time was thought to be the solution of the 

 liquor problem ; but it is less in favor to-day. Where 

 some neighboring town stands ready to supply liquor, 

 the local prohibition accomplishes little ; and the com- 

 mon cry that business is being diverted to other places 

 often serves to restore the saloon. High license is to-day 

 unquestionably the most popular form of restraint upon 

 liquor selling, and many things may be said in its favor. 

 But while it reduces the number of saloons, it increases 

 the attractiveness, the activity, and the political power 

 of those which remain, and it appeals to the sordid 

 interests of the taxpayer against any real curtailment of 

 the liquor traffic. 



Without going into a discussion of these matters — so 

 familiar to you all — I may sum up the obstacles in the 

 way of any successful temperance reform as being three- 

 fold. First, there is the unwillingness of certain honest, 

 earnest and tireless reformers to co-operate in any move- 

 ment which does not immediately and absolutely abolish 

 the sale of intoxicants. Their demand is "all or 

 nothing;" and against any system of restriction which 

 is less than prohibition, they set their faces like Hint. 

 "Free rum" seems to them less objectionable than fewer 

 saloons, and they may be counted upon to work side by 

 side with the whisky party against anything like high 

 license, or numerical limitation. Second, there is the 

 influence of politics. The saloon allies itself with differ- 

 ent parties in different States. It is Democratic, Repub- 

 lican or Socialist as best suits its own interests. And in 

 the great cities it stands ready to support any ring which 

 will in turn support it. The number of votes it controls 

 and the amount of money it can furnish make it a most 



