The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-04-13
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
Interviews with Several Prominent
Citizens.

The proposed amendment TO the Consti-
tuition, prohibiting the manufacture or sale
of liquors for purposes other than medical
mechanical and sacrameutal, in the State of
Indiana, which passed the present session of
the Legislature few days ago, has attract
ed or eat attention in this city. The Sentinel
ambassadors, on Saturday caught few
prominent citizens on the fly and applied
the pumping process with the following
result:
Mr.. LiebeT, of the brewery. was called
upon. Like all Germans, he has senti-
ment against temperance legislation, and in
addition to this, talked like practical man /
of business, holding IN hand and fully conf |
pretending the subject in all of its details. |
"Of course" he said, this is fanaticism--
an interference with individual liberty to
which no people in any form of Government
ever have submitted or ever will submit; |
but additional investments until the ques-
ton is permanently settled would be i'm
prudent had determined to invest $40, 600
in brick and mortar this year, but under |
the circumstances, must decline. Now
look at that. The MeSsrs. Smith are already
building largely, giving good employment
to stone-cutterS and masons and laborers- L
suppose this will stop and all these men
will be thrown out of employment Mr..
Maus contemplated and was preparing to
make vast improvement in the size of his
building This is side Of the question that
the temperance people never seem TO have
examined"
Reporter-How much capital have you
invested here?
Mr. Lieber--It is safe to say $3.50, 900
| fully that amount.
What is your payroll?
Mr.. 1--we employ at least twenty-five
hands, paying each $50 a. month. Now, a
brewer out of employment is one of the
most helpless men in the world There is
really nothing else that he can do;
stop the business and his occupation is gone.
/ There are more than 20 600 brewers and dis
tillers in Indiana to-day. Now, these
humanitarians ought to think of this
As an industry the manufacture of beer
is worthy OF thought. Ii is something with
which the political economist would de-
cline to dispense. Now, We pay to the
| Government a revenue tax of $4,000. As
| city tax we pay $62S.14. We purchased
| last year As, 600 bushels of barley and over
! 81 600 lbs. of hops. Beside this, We put up
5000 tons of ice. Fully two-thirds of the
ice stored in Indiana is consumed by the
saloon-keepers and brewers. Employment
at good wages is given to thousands of men
in the vicinity of Laporte, Ind, during the
winter. The extent of this industry is
astonishing. The State of Indiana, last
year manufactured 19S, 341 barrels of beer
and paid tax of S1S3,465. Malt liquors in
the United States last year paid tax of $11,-
1O3,0S4. Does any man believe that this
revenue could have been raised by direct
tax Here is a problem for the statesman.
Prohibition is not only fatal to our theory
of government, but time has abundantly
demonstrated its impracticability. There
are some things that no legislative enact
ment can reach, and this thing of eating and
and drinking is one of them. Against the
use of beer no amount of argument can pre-
vail. As this beverage increases liquor de-
creases"
The increased manufacture of beer in
1880 over 1879 was 500 600 barrels. 1t of
itself will proceed to solve the temperance
question in America,
| what will the effect of this legislation be
politically"
Mr.. L.-There is large fanatical element
in the Republican party, but all Republic
ans are not fanatics. Judge Chapman and
Dr. Van Vorhis did not favor the measure.
However, the party advocating such princi-
pies must go to the wall; the party combat
ting will triumph.
| Although identified with the manufacture
and interested in the sale of malt liquor. Mr..
Lieber's views on the subject of prohibition
are pronounced with no more emphasis than
| the views of all his countrymen. The Ger
mans are beer-drinking people. They are
not dissipated people. Germany is one of
philosophy, and all the accomplish
ments of brilliant civiliZa-
ton While they were yet savage;
while Tacitus wrote of them, they drank
beer. Beer is as much a necessity to them
as sugar is to US. In addition to this, it is
as dear TO them as their National songs, or
the flag they have followed to victory 1t is
German
Senator Bell was met and Intercepted by
a Sentinel reporter.
Reporter-What are your views on the
prohibitory amendment and of its political
effect?
Mr. Bell think that this amendment,
like many others that have passed this Gen.
eral Assembly, should not have passed. 1t
is uncalled for and altogether wrong. have
sufficient confidence in the intelligence of
the people to believe that they will set the
the seal of their condemnation upon it. All
such legislation is visionary, and in the past
has proved Intellectual as will be the case in
the future. In Massachusetts, for in
stance, there was, under the operation
of a prohibitory law, more drunken
ness, more arrests for drunkenness,
more crimes committed by persons intoxi
Gated, and more intoxicants sold and drank
than during any other corresponding period
i'm the period of the State This is fully
shown by carefully prepared and reliable
statistics on the subject The effect of the
passage of the amendment it seems 10 me,
can not be otherwise than disastrous to the
Republican party. This subject will be
prominent issue in the next campaign, and
the people will take care to elect such Leg
isiature as will effectually kill the measure.
Ii submitted to vote of the people..to-day,
have no doubt it would be defeated by vote
of nearly 100 600. There will, in my judgment
with the issue created by this amendment,
be little doubt that both branches of the
next Legislature will be Overwhelmingly
Democratic.
Rep.-Do you regard it strictly party
issue?
Mr.. B.-Most certainly it is. 1t can not be
otherwise. This Legislature is Republican.
1t passed the amendment. The vote in the
Senate was, of the Republicans, twenty-six
(26) in favor and only fonr az against. OF
the Democrats, sixteen (l6) against and only
(4) in favor. The House you know has a
large Republican majority. Besides this
the Republican party has been prolific
in promises to the temperance
people. That element has never
looked to the Democratic party for aid, nor
expected any from it, 1t is, as a party, as
shown by it's platforms, opposed to sump-
tuary legislation. On the other hand, this
temperance element will insist upon making
this question party one with the Republic
an party. They assert already that should
} the Republican party refuse TO indorse it,
they will desert. In either case the result
will be disastrous to the Republican party.