New-York tribune., 1877-06-16
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.

PROHIBITEONIST WITH DIR. CROSBY
LIMITATION BETTER THAN THE PRESENT SYSTEM
SOMETHING PRACTICAL AND PRACTICABLE TiiK
IMPORTANT THING At PRESENT.
70 the EDITOR OF The Tribune.
SIR: find in THE TRIBUNE of April %
communication from Absolute Prohibition" OF Kings
ton. who crcises warmly Dr. Crosbys position on the
tomp0rance question: and his antilcense movement IL
seems to me that tho Oeccrs to this "new departure
do not apprehend the made and the practical
purposes contemplated by the effort 10 arouse attention
&c the vast evils OF the traffic Let me premise by saying
that neither DR. Crosby his associates and synpa'h
ers make any the question OF temperance WIN
the friends Of the They positively dsclau as D
Crosby did and does any interference with the views Oh
any oue radical" ultra" or otherwise the great
principe Of righteous total abstinence prohibition OF
the traffic Every man conceded the privilege OF hold
ing any and all opinions he may please on that question:
and gauge bis conscience, morally, heoleSicaiy OF
otherwise he may Judge proper in the case There Is
therefore no anagonismand there is patronage OF
vEe beer other beverages at the expense OF aicoh0
and no prescription Of the opiniens OF Temperance men
who look forward TO possible triumph OF absolute
prohibition"
Theeatstcian may sit down and compare the reports
Of expenditures for police prisons, and almshouses, dis
pensaries hospitals, and ocrOners' inquess, judges
attorneys and clerks and show you balancosheet III
which the rum traffic stands debtor to The public treasury
I'm millions OF money-and credited by fcw score OF
thousands Of dollars OF license fees This is the com
mercal account Morally and spiritually tho whole
stream OF alcoholic fire produced from its first conception
cannot wash out the and and pcrdOn OF
one weeks history Of tho traffic in EewYork City alone
Now what is 10 be donel Absolute Prohibition an
swers: the work as 1T always has until we
can get absolute prohiDlisn." l am thorough pro-
hbonst and yield 20 no one IN my CONVICTIONS on ina!
question, hut say with DR.. Crosby. II we cannot get
absolute pSOhibtOH. let us have limitation" There Wc
in NewYork about 5000 places where qsof Is 500, a
average OF 10 say 100 OF the poPuitiei neuning
the newborn infant ami oentenalian. Now. LIMIT
The nuubor OF licenses Lot the cAolse oInccIS 10 ~
striced by the law; so tsot nsead OF o,GOO & we may
almost every corner. and thereby Iaake Intoxicating
liquors hard and difficult 10 get. and thus remove tle
temptation and the opportunity by reducing the nuDci
ol nlen whose Self-Dcrcst lies IN adding temptations
and oppOltu TO tho old and the young TO become
consumers of liquors for their advantage
liquor traffic depends for its support on te que
ton Does IL pay It's consequences never yet Guonccu
the action OF dealer He sells for his egn PnrpossIct
who OF him take the responsibility OF tleif
intemperanee. Aud the law OF civilized ana CHRISTIAN
community delegates to standing army OF OOo men
tho privilege OF making paupcrs criminals, and murder
ers ani taxing the productive power Oi the ltVhe
10 the amount Of many millions. Tor mu . OF ~ yer
oet paid for the permit, witk AcSai c On Tue Heo n
that the who receives H has " u So"d lhotnl chHt
actSrw
Now the true path for all ahsousts TO follow is 10 do
something practical and practicable To prepare the way
fer the ina triumph rs soon as IL eau ne rcst1P, '
instead OF standing aside and den0unclhS the lOON~S
lee them ohecrMly ai in the WORK II am on ny way
Albany. Viii not gf ont OF the Train ana uchouhc"
because eso wants TO 30 TO HUDSON ii eau
get my utnatun, viii work so as to get as nea 10
The movement for the prevention of crime by this
organization that appeals TO the hard piacilcai
standard ei Judgment of men who Tor tner own reasons
stand alOOf from the Temperance movement III is
LEGAL ground and feasible 1t is iudci0us ground ana
progressive 1t is broad ground, and tenibe IL is eV
grOund. and reformatoy Let II 20 on; ,r.,r,o,,sr
PROGRESSIVE PEoHIBiTloNISf.
Neg- Toyk, June l, 1877.