class of our people in dealing harshly with him. When fully convinced of his error, he will, no doubt, "acknowledge the corn." The prohibitionists of Texas can not afford to deal harshly with any, and especially with the great and shining political lights of the country.

But, to return to the preachers and their special work in the cause of prohibition. They have a right, not only to vote, but to talk and work for the cause, and no one however high he may be in authority, has the right to "scourge them back" or dare to "molest and make them afraid." The people of Texas are not particularly interested in the false issue attempted to be raised, that is, whether it is a political, moral, or religious question? It makes no difference whatever, whether it belongs to the one, either of the others or all of them together. Practically, it belongs to them all, and you can not possibly separate it from either. It has much to do with religion, it has much to do with moral progress, it has much to do with the politics of the country, and there is but little difference in degree. It is a question between right and wrong as applied to human conduct. It can be determined to the satisfaction of any unbiased mind by the application of the standard furnished by any or all of the three, religion, morality and politics, and the doctrine of statutory prohibition will be fully sustained. The preachers and the churches are entirely right when they say that it is a religious and moral question, and the statesman is also right when he insists that it is a political question. As a religious or moral question, no one will deny that the church and its ministry have a right to deal with and discuss it; the politicians and the people, including preachers and church members generally, have an equal right to discuss it as a political question affecting the temporal welfare of the people at large. Let the preachers preach temperance and prohibition; let them talk it; let them act it; let them vote for it, and, if possible, in

duce by persuasion or otherwise their membership and all others to do likewise.

In this connection I can not overlook the influence of the Sabbath-school as an instrumentality for the promotion of the good cause, especially among the young people. The older ones could all profit by becoming constant attendants of the Sunday schools of the country. If all of the children and young people could be brought within their christianizing influence and could be made to understand the importance of a thorough knowledge of the teachings of the Bible, and to feel the necessity of cultivating the moral faculties as well as the development of the intellectual and physical, the progress of society would be wonderful indeed. This would be the result without regard to the special efforts that might be made in those schools of morality and religion, to inculcate in the youthful mind a due appreciation of the evils of intemperance, and of the benefits and blessings arising and. flowing from a life of sobriety. Perhaps no other surroundings are more favorable and conducive to the promotion of temperance and those incident to the Sunday schools throughout the land. It is probable, however, that this one important feature has not heretofore received that attention. at the hands of the superintendents and teachers as its importance certainly demands. If the boys can be taught and persuaded to detest drunkenness, to despise the saloons and their gaudy attractions, and to live sober through life, they will have learned a lesson which will do them more good than all the philosophy of the age. If they fail to learn this lesson, and to strengthen their resolution to a point which will enable them to profit from their knowledge of its truth, they will with a few exceptions, be worthless to themselves and useless to the world, although they may have the wisdom of all the renowned scientists of the age. What is science, what is wisdom, what is "wealth and fame and all "

to him who has become the crouching slave of the wine cup? Did you ever see the brilliant genius prematurely cut down in his career? Did you ever behold lying oblivious in the gutters, a man who seems to be fashioned for greatness; who may have led victorious armies and controlled the destinies of nations, and not be made to feel the wonderful power of this insidious and remorseless enemy of mankind? Could the boys of our land only be made to feel and realize this accursed power of whisky to destroy their every aspiration to become great before they fall into its deadly coils, what an improvement would be the growing generation upon the one which is now passing away.

Let us teach temperance in our Sunday school classes. Let us endeavor to teach and persuade those bright-eyed boys, placed in our charge to beware of the temptation; to be sober, useful and happy. Not only that, but let us who are teaching do what we can to check the use of tobacco, this incipient tendency to dissipation which crops out so early in the boys and is evidenced by the smoking of cigars and cigarettes. I tell you that cigarette smoking in boys is but an index pointing to a weakness which can not and will not brook the temptation to drink when they become older. It indicates a disposition to imitate vicious examples, and a dangerous susceptibility for the contraction of bad habits. Every instrumentality ought to be brought to bear to check this dangerous tendency in youth.

CHAPTER VI.

REMEDIES INDEPENDENT OF LEGISLATION.

INDIVIDUAL EFFORT.-ORGANIZED EFFORT.

Having suggested in the foregoing pages a few thoughts pertaining to the special work of those persons whose peculiar social condition, occupation or calling is such as seems to require at their hands such special work in the cause of temperance and prohibition, I desire now to speak generally of the good influence all persons, irrespective of classes, may exert in the correction of some evils and in the elevation of public sentiment, which is indispensably necessary to the success of any movement in that direction. In a government like ours where the people exercise the powers of sovereignty, public sentiment is practically supreme. It is above legislative enactments, and above constitutional limitations and restrictions. If prohibitory enactments are to be enforced, they must be put into execution by the people through their agents and representatives who are the officers of the law, and by themselves, in their capacily as jurors, a trial by jury being guaranteed by the Constitution itself. It may be humiliating to an American citizen to know it, but it is nevertheless true that laws contravening the strong current of public opinion can not be enforced by any system of jurisprudence which can be devised. Not only will jurors refuse to enforce such a law, but officers and courts, regardless of official oaths and the sacredness of the judicial ermine, will in every way possible, (and the ways are numerous), screen

the offender against the penalty of a law which public sentiment pronounces unjust and oppressive. And this is why prohibitory laws are so often practical failures in the suppression of the evils of intemperance.

Every person, however humble he may be, and however insignificant he may feel his influence to be, can do something toward the elevation of public sentiment and the correction of this great popular evil. We are all responsible for the influence which we exert. We are indeed "our brothers' keepers," and it is our duty to so demean ourselves in our intercourse with the world that others, instead of being the worse for our example shall be the better for the good influence we may exert upon the formation of their habits and their characters. Above all, we should do everything in our power, by precept and example, to discourage the evil of drunkenness and intemperance in all of their hideous forms and disguises.

The cause of temperance has, perhaps, suffered more from the intemperance of its advocates than any other movement in the interest of humanity. What I mean by intemperance in this connection is, not the excessive use of intoxicating liquors, to which the term is most usually applied, but to the intemperate use of the tongue. No greater mistake is made than to suppose that bitter words and the application of personal abuse can effect anything in the suppression of the evil. There is implanted in every bosom a spirit of resentment which will ever assert itself when not held in check by cringing fear or some greater opposing force of human nature. The veriest coward on earth feels the impulse of resentment when he is made to realize that an injury has been inflicted upon him, and he is only prevented from acting upon such impulse by the sense of fear, which effectually counteracts his desire of revenge. The brave man, however depraved may be his moral sensibilities, and however low may be his