Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-02
POST INTELLIGENCER,
A PUBLIC LIBELE9.

In homily upon the subject of tenn
perance and advocating this enactment
and enforcement of problbitory laws,
which we read in an exchange yester-
Gag, the writer uses some very strong
expressions. "The public" says this
dec1n atist, ''is lazy, beastly, cowardly
and faithless." These are very serious
charges They go 10 the bottom OF our
soclai and political system and inclIde
every man and woman of the land. The
u bic is the aggregated community, the
=. n,bined population, the people. A
.uterge against ,he public 10 an accu-
aston against the inhabitants OF the
community, State and nation, individu'
saEr and collectively. The assertion OF
Iais writer is the SANDER OF an e1-
rsrep1ist, the published libel OF would
BE autocrat. who. assuming superiority
az judgment, bravery. intelligence, en-
ercy and morality, decries The rs5t Of
She human race because they fail to
frliy agree with him or possibly REJECT
Ais methods of procedure. Ibis man
is . prohibitiOnist. He would stamp
out of existence, instantly and forever,
she manufacture and sale of liquor, AND
g.. lie brands as towards. beasts, yagaboH :
and traitors all who disagree with EiEc,
70 hf y i'm
as TO the most effectual methods TO he
employed. There il as much bravery in
opposition as in attack. 1t requires no
.panre courage to be a crusader than to
cunscientieusly oppose invasion and in
-novaticn. Opposition to methods must
not be cOnfounded with disloyalty to
:principses. The public is opposed to
> crime, but it is not cowardiy to insist
, that it shall TO punished legally. 1t
often requi 81 the exercise of higher
:rait of moral and physical courage to
Withstand temporary gust Of frenzied
aentimsn than to lead an unthlnking
and illogical body of crusaders. We
sze not going to discuss the questions Of
prohibition and high license, nor the
confessed and patent evils of the liquor
trafiic. Upon the last there is but little
: controversy. Prohibition and high
=. ic ense, or indeed license at all, are mat
tiers of method, of policy. Upon these
the public is sincerely, conscientiously
and widely divided. Because people do
not 500 things through the same glasses
ere they cowardly, hypocritical. inert
aud bestial! There are many religions
on earth. Each is in its peculiar method
devoted to the one great object of re-
corning and ennoblinR humanity. The
methods of tho churches differ, their
views Of polity and policy widely
-divegge. Are all but one cowardly and
pharisaical?
Ths public is not cowardly. Especial
2yis this the case under a democratic
form of government. Once convinco
Che pu hlio Of The exiltence of a 2rievous
90 il, and unit it on proper and lat
method for tho eradication of that
wrong, and it is swept away as by tho
hes om Of destruction. The public will
eight for its convictions, but IT must DO
united On ths mode of their enforcement,
else tie struggle will be fact.onal and
ineffective. The public is not lazy. 1t
is especially in our own land living.
breathing, energetic body of selfgov-
crning sovereigns, who have accom-
pitched more in fifty gears for tho up
aIfting and enabling of Humanity than
the historian of the period precedent
&C IN find to write upon tie scroll record
ny human achievements. The public
rs not beastly. The aspirations of he
ia snity are upward; they tend toward
purity of thought and life. The under
lying impulse which is felt in govern
znent and in society il not degraded or
unolean. The public sense is human.
4 he people are not beasts. Neither is
ahe public faithless. 1t il true to its
convictions, loyal to it's traditions, pa
ariotic in it's motives. and honest in tho
enforcement and defense of right, and
liberty, an l juetice. Every step in the
1pward path of human p;ogress has
bs sn accomplished by the support of
4 Size common people. the great public OF
hom this sianGerer prates so foully.
From the great masses, from the peo-
sples the pubic, have sprung the worlds
~ssv anHehsts, the matte ms leaders, the
moral. social and political reformers If
every age, and following, supporting,
shen onoe convinced OF the Justice Of
shs innovation. and united on the most
rih cicnt methods, are seen tho poo
pie. We are all the public. Are We
towards, i6iors. beasts and Pharisees
as this censor likewise one of US?