| Show moral dissuasion I 1 the critics of the maine law are constantly repeating abe sell self evident truth that you cannot make men temperate by statute we never heard any prohibitionist hibit argue that law could be substituted for the gospel the law against stealing is not a substitute for moral biasion bua sion but the statute emphasizes the offensiveness of the offense and is a valuable aid in the prevention of the crime it Is just so with the it prohibitory law it is IL a valuable and effective operator cooperator co drinking men confess it rum sellers own it and the fact that maine is the most temperate state in the union attests it he who thinks the temperance millennium will come the moment you enforce prohibition is as much in error as he who thinks eba moral suasion does not require the prohibitory lash for those who are de literately libera tely dissuaded to undervalue prohibition is a grave error to undervalue moral suasion is a fatal error but we happen to have observed that the great champions champion at f moral suasion are almost never thile who are the great cilam champions pious of license we often nere here wine drinkers and beer drinkers and sellers of strong drink declaring for moral suasion but we do not remember that any of them are leaders in moral persuasion the men who rely on moral suasion wholly as a rule are not themselves persua persuaded aea by moral suasion in fact so is the connection between principle and conduct the revelations through a glass which p man secures against to be distorted louisville maine journal |
