Rev. Dr. Sunderland Favors A Prohibitory Law

At the request of some gentlemen who fcave the interests of temperance at heart, Rev. Dr. Sunderland wrote out his views as to the best course to take in the present condition of the temperance agitation He says : There is no interest of society that is not effected by the drink habit. As a moral question this of how to get rid of the evils of liquor is undoubtedly the greatest that confronts us. As an economie and social question, nothing compares with it, except that which is now at issue between capital and labor. As a politisal question tverything looka as if it must press more and more to the front - becoming, as now seems likely, at no distant day, quite as central in our politics in this country, for a term o years, until it is settled, as ever slavery was. Indeed in the nature of the case there seems to be far more reason why it should become a great political question, on a national scale, than there ever was for plavery becommg guch aquetion. Por it is a larger matter than slavery was; it not only far more affectó the purity and integrity of our politics, and the safety of our public institutions, but it inuch more deeply con cerns the health, the lires, wealth, the industrial prosperity, the domestic and pfr sonal happiness and the moral w 11-being of the American people, than slavery ever did. In combatting this great enemy of our nation and of each one of us personally, severa) agents are to be enployed, each important. But, among the rest, it is at least a question whether there is not important woik to be done of a political charaoter, in the way of securing better temperance legislation. What laws have we now ? We have (1) law regulating l'censes, and (2) laws forbidding the sale of liquor on Sunday, after certain hours at night, on certain public holidays, and to minors and intoxicated persons. Are these laws sufficient? If not what more is needed ? Shull we have higher licens' ? some tavor ihat. Shall we have local option ? some think that the best .Shall we allow the sale of Iquor, but, not to be drank on the premises, and thus do away with the saloon nuiiance, though leaving persons free to drink at home? Some think they see much advantage in this plan. Others again advocate what is known as the Swedish or Grötebo' g plan of ilealing with the liquor evil; that is, allowing the sale ol liquor, but at a somewhat limited number of places, and only by government agents - so that nobody can have any pecuniary interest in increasing the sales or enticing persons to buy - a plan which in places where it has been introduced not only in Sweden and other European countries but In tuis country, has resulted in consider able reduction in the quantity of üquor sold. Still others believ, and some very earnestly, that the only real solutiou oí the liquor difficulty, - the only plan that puts us on the road to an ultímate mastery of this gigantio evil, is the absolute and unconditional prohibition by the individual states, and ultimately perhaps by the general government of the manu acture, importation and sale for drinking purposes of all kinds of intoiicating liquor. As for myself, I do not hesita te to say frankly, I am convineed that this latter plan is the true one. I am fully aware of the objectione to prohibición, and to the serious difficulties in the way of making it effective even after we have once got it as a law. And yet with all these objections and Uifficulties clearly in view, I am etill fully convineed that the way to victory lies along this road. The difficulties have been overeóme elsewhere, I believe they can be in Michigan. The law will not be fully euforced at first - no law is; but t will itself be a most important educating influence. G reat as are the difficulties in the way of prohibition; they are les?, in mj judgmant, than lie in the path of any other plan of dealing with the liquor evil that has been proposed, or that in the nature of the case can be propoied. Every other method is a mere make.shift - a mere temporizing policy that leaves the eril jugt as bad at the end as at the beginning. This aimg at a real cure. Certain it is that the prohibition idea is steadily growing in favor in almost all parts of oor own country, and in foreigu land, - in tections where it has not been tried, but especially in sections where it has been tried, and among the wisent, most able, most candid and most influential men and wotnen.