THE KI NG ’ S BUSINESS b e e n a c c o m- COMMENT FROM plished in this MANY SOURCES country up to the K. Ii. Brooks p r e s e n t time. Since the federal prohibition amendment of January 16, many have dismissed the whole drink question from their mind. Let not Christian people think, however, that this matter is forever disposed of. Old John Barleycorn has a way of rising up in his coffin, and there is much to be done before he can be pronounced officially dead. The following review is from “ The Pathfinder” : It was 278 years ago that the pro hibitionists launched their first drive on “ John” in this country, when Maryland, in 1642, passed an act punishing drunk enness by a fine of 1 0 0 pounds of to bacco. In 1644 Pennsylvania legalized the selling of liquor to both whites and Indians. Connecticut and Rhode Isl and found it necessary to prohibit sell ing it to the Indians and her colonies later took similar action. In 1650 Connecticut forbade “ tip pling” for more than half an hour at a time. In 1654 Massachusetts fined tav ern-keepers 2 0 shillings who sold liquor to a man who was already drunk. Mary land in 1658 decreed that any man found drunk should be put in the stocks for six hours. Virginia decided that a “ common drunkard” was a person who had been drunk three times. That state had to legislate against the clergy, who were specifically forbidden by law to “ give themselves to excess to drink ing or playing unlawful games.” New Jersey ordered in 1668 that no one should drink after nine p. m. In 1685 the Quakers of Pennsylvania and neighboring states declared solemnly against intemperance, and in 1760 they sought to forbid the use of liquor at funerals. New Hampshire in 1700 for bade innkeepers to allow people to drink in their inns Saturday night or Sunday. Georgia in 1757 prohibited
877 giving a liquor-selling license to any one who was “ capable of gaining a live lihood by honest labor.” It was in 1789 that the first temper ance society was started in this coun try at Litchfield, Conn. In 1794 the “ whisky rebellion” broke out in Penn sylvania, against the taxation of liquors. In 1802 congress began to pass general legislation on the subject of liquor and made provision for stopping the selling of it to the Indians. The first national temperance conven tion was held at Philadelphia in 1833. The movement gained ground till Neal Dow, known as “ the father of prohibi tion,” organized the Maine Temperance Union, in 1837. Two years later Con necticut invented “ local option” to al low each community to decide the liquor question for itself. In 1842 Lincoln, addressing a tem perance' society at Springfield, 111., urged a “ temperance revolution.” The next year Oregon passed a prohibitory law, but soon repealed it. Maine first went “ dry” in 1846. In 1849 Father Matthew, a priest from Ireland, came to this country and began a great pledge-signing crusade. In some places riots resulted over the whisky issue, and in 1855 the militia had to be called out in Chicago. Lincoln, when elected president in 1860, refused to give drinks to the notification committee and also refused to accept a gift of liquor. Next year he signed a law forbidding tne sale of intoxicants to soldiers, and in 1862 con gress repealed the law, which allowed a daily ration of liquor to men in the navy. In 1843 John B. Gough, the famous temperance orator, had begun his cam paign against drink. In 1874 the Wo men’s Christian Temperance Union was formed and the women of the country began to take a decisive part in the work. Steadily more and more terri tory was won to prohibition. Some-
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