The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-01-31
Will Prohibition Accomplish
any Good


To sAs EDITOR Of TemperAnoe Department
It is often said, and that too by
people who profess 10 oppose the use
of intoxicating beverages, that they
would not hesitate to lend their aid
and influence TO the Temperance
cause, if they thought that temper
ance organizations and prohibitory
laws were calculated to do any good;
but that they think it best not to
wage active warfare on liquor deal
ers byattemptingto legislate against
its traffic. They argue that prohib-
tory laws will be violated; that men
will make, buy, sell and drink liquor
REGARDLESS. of al law prohibiting or
restricting its traffic; that+d would
be impossible to enforce n prohibit
tory law in Tennessee and there
fore it would really inure to the adj
vantsge of the liquor traffic, aud to
the injury of the temperance cause.
Such excuses and arguments, COM
ing, too, from people protesting to be
in sympathy with temperance re-
form, seem to one viewing the sub
ject as your writer does, too futile
to be dignified with any notice But
since the people always have and al
ways will differ in their views rs to
the best means TO accomplish the
same results, there are, doubtless,
many good people who really think
that prohibition by Legislative enact
ment would injnre the temperance
cause. Let Us see if such reasoning
is sound. The same argumen. might
be urged against nearly every stat
ute embodied in our penal code with
equal propriety. We have statutes
prohibiting murder, robbery, LARGE
ny, forgery aud great many other
offences known as crimes and mis-
demeanors.
1t is we'll known to all that a pen
atty awaits them for the commission
of any offence against any Of our
criminal laws; and yet men will
murder, rob, steal and commit every
other conceivable crime. Now, W no,
among our undecided Temperance
croakers, would undertake to say
that there is more murder, more
stealing, more fighting than if these
laws did not exist, or the penalty
was not inflicted? In short, who
would for a moment argue, that
there is more crime, of all grades
committed, than if we had no Grim
inal law2 / do not think that there
are any who would assume such a
position. And yet the argument
would be just as plausible when
urged in favor of the repeal of any
of the statutes enumerated, az
against a law prohibiting the manu-
facture and sale of ardent spirits.
All are ready to admit that there is
nothing productive of more crime,
either directly or indirectly, than
the sale and use of intoxicants, 10
say nothing of the want, misery,
suffering, and general moral effect
upon society. Ifthis be true, why
should we be so careful to prohibit
and punish all the minor crimes,
and yet suffer this giant criminal TO
20 UNPUBLISHED, and even license
him TO commit his deeds of foulest
conceptioR2 1t may be true that
men will, 70 q certain extent, make,
sell, buy and drink intoxicants in
spite of law; and no one pretends
that they viii not But it is foolish
ness, to say the least of it, 10 argue
that msre of il will be done if men
were punished for it, than if they
are licensed 10 make and sell il, and
thus encouraged in their work of de-
straction. Temperance Organiza'
tons. and Temperance people dc
not claim that by the simple enact