The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-31
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
neutrality-suspicious.

Temperance-Prohibit Regulation.
To the Editor OF the indianapolis Journal
We have been and arc greatly interested in
the daily discussions found in the columns
of the Journal. We may say without boast
ing or intentional egotism that having been
for fifty-eight years a member of an absti-
nence society (since 1920 the interest felt by
us in the subject and in its discussion need
not be q matter of wonder. We may say
further that during that whole period of
well-nigh sixty years we have been steadfast
and earnest in the cause of total abstinence,
insomuch that in practice we have abstained
from the use even Of sweet cider, and have
constantly condemned, during forty-hve
years past the use of alcoholic wines
for sacramental purposes. We mention
these things merely to show that We can
have no possible leaning towards nor SYM
pathy with the accused traffic, but only and
always an adherence thereof and a desire
| and purpose TO weaken, cripple and destroy
it root and branch; that we cherish a con-
slant, thorough and unalterable hatred
thereto and an uncomprOmsing opposition
to the employment OF alcoholic stmuants
except in the strictest sense for medicinal
mechanical ana scientific purposes. Having
thus somewhat briefly defined our stand
point let US proceed to declare somewhat
| fully the ground upon which We stand and
the position which for time long past we
have occupied and upon which we may
still be found For at least forty years
our position has been clear and simple, to-
! wit: the drink traffic crime and a nuisance,
to be suppressed like any other nuisance and
| punished like any other crime. In any great
! public movement of morals some radical
principle must be found underlying the en-
| tire fabric as the grand basis and foundation
| of the whole, which must stand as the key
note, giving shape and character to the
means and methods and furnishing signiti-
canoe to its schemes and plans and operating
as harmonizing and unifying regulator to
the general movement.
In the slavery agitation OF former days the
unifying, centra! foundation doctrine therein
was fifty expressed by the national con-
vention held at Pittsburg in 1856 in
substance thus: 1--WE believe slavery to be
sin against God and a crime against man."
| so say we of the drink traffic And we en-
| large our creed as thus announced by adding
| thereto, land public and common nuisance,
| TO be abated, suppressed aud punished both
| by the common and statute law"
| Having stated thus briefly and clearly our
| ground, we advance step and declare that
/ we are in favor of every movement that
promises in any degree to abate this monster
! evil of the time. We favor education of mind
| and heart ana habit, as perhaps the grand
moral preventive agency, without which
! all else will be flat failure We believe in
| social disfayor; bringing upon every promoter
/ of the drink traffic the public oblouuy so
freely employed against other forms OF giant
crime and public mischief We will uphold
| the church IN reiterating the scriptural an
| nouncement: ''No drunkard shall inherit
the kingdom of heaven" and in maintain
! ing also the kindred doctrine: No drunkard-
maker shall belong to the kingdom of God
on earth; and in enforcing the stern declara-
! ing of the Apostle: Have no fellowship
| with the unfrultfu works OF darkness but
| rather reDrUye them" We are in favor of
regulation, restriction partial or total pro-
| hibition, q license high or low, of moral and
! legal hedges" weaker or stronger; but the
stronger the better; OF regulating and re-
strainng laws and OF their strict and thor
ough enforcement in the interest OF moral
| ity sobriety and good order We are in ia
vor of local option" yes, local OPTION" that
''red rag' shaken in the eyes OF the pro
| hibition bull" the very naming OF which
|
frenzy of passionate rage. We are in IA
vor, moreover of prohibition-entire, abso-
| lutte, universal, perpetual prohibition, legal
constitutional, now, heneeforth and for
evermore here, there and everywhere
| And in these positions thus assumed we
see nothing inconsistent nor con tradictory
Regulation is partial prohibition. License
| is prohibition to ninety-nine one-hundredtis
of the people as to sale and at least half the
population as to purchase, and largely so as
| 10 use. Local option" is real and actual
prophibition. prohibition is local option,
hibition beginning lower down.
Prohibition takes hold of nothing less than
an entire State Local option begins its
grip" at township or a village, starting
with the smallest political entity. Prohibit
| ton climbs the ladder at one immense leap,
disdaining any attempt at less movement
| than the whole length and stretch of the
| ladder, from bottom TO top Local option
advances by the shortest available steps,
] taking however, all that are in any possible
| way practicable. But, in them all, the end
| and aim are the same-to check to weaken,
| TO cripple, to destroy the power for mischief
OF the terrible drink-traffie We would not
| be understood to intimate that we think all
these ways equally good. Far from it. The
| only proper and final result to be aimed at is
absolute and total suppression; and
| these various methods are simply means
of reaching more or less directly and eff
| fectually the grand contamination desired
| We hold in this matter substantially as we
would if residing near a hideous den of mon
| strous rattlesnakes entrenched in apparently
| impregnable rocks. Our motto of course,
would be: "Rattlsnakes--a nuisance to be
utterly rooted out and destroyed" And
then we would join in any and every avala-
bic movement in every method OF making
successful Roadway, either general or partial
We would kill them as they came out; we
would build great fire at the denis mouth:
we would erect huge fence or wall around
the entrance To faSten them in and Stnrve