| Show the 1 social problem of the D day ay the question how to deal with the terrible phenomenon of intemperance has lias for many ye years ra engaged tho the earnest attention of philan and humanitarians the manifold evils of the social scourge are everywhere baldeou hideously ry apparent they thes are witnessed edin in every grade of life and in every comma nily great or small the families are few indeed which are ate not directly or indirectly touched by t his this mournful blight he ile who has not been appalled or saddened by witnessing Us ta effect u upon pon some relative or cherished friend must be esteemed exceptionally fortunate no one ong who mixes with men fails falls to see daily the ravages of vice or if you prefer the disease or infirmity I 1 in ln impaired be althen feebler intellect and blunted moral sensibilities there is no vice that FO eo unmistakably sets its seal beal upon the countenance so surely reveals itself by a general demoralization of conduct and character and mere were is none that causes so much misery and degradation to all connect connected d by social ties with the victim 0 these are aro truisms which no one on disputes and which have become stale from froin frequent repetition but while all admit the tude of the evil the multitude of good alid and earnest people who have interested themselves in the emlott effort to abate it have no agreement among thenis themselves elves in regard bathe to the best methods in great britain and america there are over a million llon lion of men and women who are engaged in one way or another in the work of combating the evils of in lu temperence they embrace members of all ranks of society with a very fair members of parliament nent dent and d titled tilled d personages among our kinsfolk across the water and among amon g us thousands of able intelli intelligent ent and eminent citizens there is something touching and almost sublime in the patient resolution with which this noble army of have fought a battle in which their interest is not personal but purely humanitarian and have kept uj up the struggle 9 in the face of or the utmost discouragement coura gement for it must be conceded that results thus fanare far are aro by no means proportionate to the sacrifices made or exerted some of hein them c have thought that the true r remedy is to be found in either restrictive or prohibitory hibi tory and have hare sought to obtain such legislation through political action but candid and thoughtful observers on qu both sides ot octha the tho atlantic have come to the conclusion that leg legislative ablative remedies have failed to produce the good effects anticipated from them it has been found that as a general rule prohibition hibi tion does not practically and effectually prohibit the fanatics however lea iea lebruno learn runo no valuable lesson from these failures they do not infer from them that their method Is is a false one but only that the thi e laws lawa aro are not sufficiently stringent nor the penalties sufficiently severe another class of reformers rely upon rhetoric rhe rho torie torio at anu and id appeals to the emotions the efi eff effects ecta of which are tr e transient and liable table to be followed by reaction both in this country and in england these methods have accomplished no large largo or permanent reform the rev kev dr hill of bf portland said a year ago during the excitement of the local option contest that after forty years of observation he be had never known so much drunkenness in maine blaine as Rs at that gime time time in massachusetts the experiment experimenter of prohibitory legislation in one form or another has livis been tested under favorable circumstances and the tho general testimony is that in the chief cities and towns of that state the various legislative remedies have proved worse than failures mr mar 11 ecoe aboe of boston in a pamphlet on the subject declares it as ills his opinion thal that the tho io laws havo have led to an amount of domestic and public hypocrisy and secret drinking which reflects discredit upon thirst te ite elfand threatens if it the system is persisted ini in to end in thoroughly demoralizing the people the conviction seems to be gaining ground that the methods heretofore relied upon for combat intemperance do not take tako sufficient cognizance of its hal aal causes of lat late lato e years there has hag sprung s up a school of reformer reformers who insist that this particular vice or infirmity cannot be treated separately with any rat rational lonal ional hope of good results thes these a argue hat excessive ence enee in ia drink springs from a general feebleness of character an inability to es erciso self control or to r resist der jer a kind und of weakness in v various I 1 other forms as ks in try tippling they hold that the demon of in tempora temp pra neo nee will remain powerful BO long ibur ashmen are not and disciplined themselves wad a nd control their appetite appetites that reform la iff order lorger to ao be effectual must be general not pot aimed ata at a but at the elevation and strengthening of the whole character to this class belong many distinguished pi prelates pr elates and ano clergymen of tha iha itoman oath cath olio and episcopal churches wh who preach the doctrine tb atthe that the true reform of the future will be found in a education habits babits of cons con cien clen industry agreeable occupation innocent recreation the culli cuili of the aa tastes and a percept perception foa loa infinite beauty and desirability of havins having every low appetite and evil passion in sub subjection jec lection tion this wea idea unfortunately holds out little hope for tor tho those who bave already fallen failen under the of inte lute intemperate ro b habits abl abi t s it has no encouragement coura gement and arill no consolation fon foe the inebriate who ia is struggling to free himself fram tram the fatal yoke it says in deflect your cabels case les Jess you must go your way and bunner the penalty of your infirm ity but when you shall have pa pas 4 ed away a generation more wisely trained and disciplined will arise brise which will neve become the victims of jhb the curse from froin which ou suffer arld wad which has been your ruin san francisco Chr chronicle onide |
