The Liquor Question. 



supremacy, in shaping and controlling that all-powerful agent — 

 public opinion. In my opinion, one of the greatest obstacles to a 

 practical and successful solution of this question is found in the fact 

 that among the so-called better class of the community there is little, 

 if any, cohesive power, so to speak, in regard to public or political 

 questions; while those who make no pretense to an excess of public or 

 private virtue stand together as an invincible army, always able, with- 

 out serious effort, to resist the assaults of the army of reformers who 

 are constantly dissipating their powers in trying to settle strifes 

 within their own ranks, as to how best they can eliminate or over- 

 come an evil against which they all decry. 



The evil exists to an alarming extent with no legal restraints. To 

 illustrate, let us suppose a case: Here is a company of ten men, four of 

 whom will not permit any regulation, restriction or interference with 

 the traffic — no sumptuary legislation. They believe in personal lib- 

 erty in the fullest sense . The other six are real public benefactors, 

 and conscientious and earnest temperance reformers, who greatly 

 desire to have the world relieved from this evil. Two of them believe 

 in the adoption of extreme prohibitory measures. They say it is wrong 

 and sinful in itself. Nothing must be done— nothing shall be done— 

 except to blot it out of existence. No license, no regulation, nothing 

 but destruction. Two others just as conscientiously believe that, in 

 dealing with human nature as it is, with facts as they are, high license, 

 with strong restrictive provisions, will do more to minimize the evils re- 

 sulting from the traffic than any other course. They believe in the per- 

 sonal liberty that is regulated by law. The other two, imbued with a 

 desire to benefit their fellow-men, conscientiously believe that the 

 proper solution of the problem lies in moral suasion, in developing a 

 strong temperance sentiment, in elevating the public morals, and that 

 local option which shall enable the majority sentiment, as embraced 

 by the people within a given area, to decide from time to time whether 

 within that area intoxicating liquors should be manufactured, sold or 

 used as a beverage. The question must be solved by these ten per- 

 sons, in such way as that it shall be binding upon all. It is appa- 

 rent that so long as the ten adhere to their convictions the question is 

 unsolved, and those who desire personal liberty, although in the 

 minority, are gratified, while the other six, in parties of two, each 

 willing the others shall yield, are trying to convince each other of the 

 wisdom and advantage of their methods and the short-comings and 

 impracticability of that of the others. 



