, 1874-12-28
PROHIBITION AS A POLITICAL ISSUE.

70 tie Editor Of The caicaao Tribune:
Tho political issuoa of tho temperance reform
should bc thoroughly studied, apart from NIL
other political issues. Temperance legislation
Ii Desired purely for roformatory md moral pur-
poses; mud, If tho lau~naking powers in Govern
nont aro adequate to tho work OF banjHlling i'll
temperance from society thon it surely ia desira-
bio that our Legislatures should bo sat to tho
taak Mt onco ThiH ono question should 10 mado
the grand leading isHuo In our National Councils:
aud. whom they havo succeeded in establishing a
thorough temperance reform BY law, tlioro will
be but single step further to DO talon to ostab-
llsL puro morals and unlty Of religious faith.
When wo hayo reached ouch d ro6ult wo slall
look for tho Keys Of st. Pctor to DO passed. over
from Romo to Washington; aud wo can, in
G rand Council OF tic Nation. vote OH Infalhbili-
" i'll thoNow World. established upon e Buror
rock thau st. petor. The eetoa Of He'll will not
attcnlst to pre1all against It.
Tho issue, tIeh, that wo must now make with
those zealouo advocates Of temperance who arc
clamorlng for prolioitory temperance laws, is,
that they aro urging upon our Legislatures n
work that transconls their duty to undertake or
ability to perform. 1t is conceded TINT tonjlor-
ance Legislation has hitherto bcon failuro.
1t best, 1t hus only Berved to chock, or tempo
rarly restrain, the uge OF nlcoloiic drinks but
somebody has always been to blame for tho lack
Of auccoau hitherto. prohibltionista aro positive
that, at somo future ti.ne q grand prohi6tosv
law will be onactel and enforced that will banish
intompoganco from tho land. Now, l imagiuo
that, could such desirable result bo onco
reached, unions human 1laturo becomes very
much changed in tho process. the victory would
10 celebrated by a grand jubiloo TINT would
endanEcr tho medicinal and mechanical supplies
Of ALCOHOLIC beverages that the roecneratc drug
z4nS.
1t would 10 q time to bo tnorry. md 1t would be
impossible Tor our real. thorouShgoing poll
tic,ans to celebrate without something to troat
With. 1t would bo exceedingly trying to suclA
natures to got up much enthusiasm in either u
prayer or prasa MehtlnE, led by our earnest
toinpernnco-roforncrs
It is CLEARLY evident that to rid tho world OF in
| temperance involves moral renovation Of aoc-
city tllnt Christianity has mover yot Jeen a,lo TO
secure within tho communion Of tho Church: and
il our Divine Christianity nov willing to advance
the State to place in the cauao Of reform above
| the Church? T!1l our oar1lcst Christian pll-
| anthropiats come bowling to tho civil power, and
cav, 'Wo have failed to reform society md save
| 1t by tho sayor Of our holy religion aud We,
therefore, not only pray, but command, tho Civil
| Governments to reform all the people through
| legal euactmonts 2" When criminals onact no.
| yoro laws against crime, and become tho stern
| executors Of such laws when mon bind them
| selves to whppins-poB;s, and apply tho scoureo
| with their own hands; when they incAl'cerato
]
themselves IN prisons anu nnfier punishment Tor
their crimcs, while they carry the koVg to their
| own prison oeila,-thon nlay no LOOK tor mon 70
| make themselves tenlporate by law. Then will
| samaon GiIow ainlsolt TO DO bound will strong
corl9 and bo ehori Of hs strength, to 10 placed
| III his enomles' hands, at tho solicitation Of q
| Delilah.
| But this may bo regarded na gu indroe: motll-
| cd OF troatment of tho prohihtory question; n
kind of dodging tho arguments With Which scnl-
poranco mon fortfy thor .poHstiorH; I Will,
| therefore, pasH TO cxam!uo the logic of Frohibi-
tion which will stato aB suceinotly as poHsib!o.
| viz:
| FtrSt-Scicnco teaches that ALCOHOLIC drlnkH
nre deadly Poisons.
StcoAd-Tho ,lso ct such drinks ia suicide, and
the sale OF them il lnnrdor. ..
Third-To drink or aol ALCOHOLIC beverages ID
| crime, aud should, therefore, 10 troatod nj u
ormo BY our Legislatures IN their onaetments ot
criminal Inv.
IAero ID I'LL appearance OF sound reasoning III
| tho above promises md conclusion. II The
| premises nrc correct, wo accept the conclusion.
| Logical fnirnuss requires il OF us. Lot ua
change tho ahoya formula by lnaersing assenio il
tho place Of y talcoholic drinks, aud wo would
| then make druggists, physicians. aud patients,
suicides aud mlrdorors III tho Balo mud aso Of
soma Of cur bost at;ao-!nodlcines: We might
put tho casu stiil stronger by putting opium Ill
tho rlaco Of arseuio; and then, asE, would q
Jury OF even ptohbtlonistH bring In y verdict o1
guilty against a,,on rattios, though Leglalat're