The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-27
Regulations a Faiinre.

TO the Editor OF tho INDIANAPOLIS Jonrnai
In looking over the columns of yesterdays
Journal, we notice an article written under
the caption of How to regulate the evils of
intemperance. Knowing that such an I'M
dertaking had baffled the ingenuity of our
wisest statesmen, we somewhat eagerly read
the communication, in hopes that some sage
had at last solved the problem, and that this
= heretofore uncomfortable traffic could be
placed under the ban OF successful regula-
tions. Upon completing the article, we
found it to be pitiful plea upon the part of
one engaged in the liquor trade.
The gentleman, after giving brief history
of the temperance movements, proceeds to
show ~ that prohibition cannot prohibit
his preponderenee of evidence being in the
form OF citation to an article of Senator
Blair's, which recently was published in the
North American Review. He quotes the
Senator where he says that while prohibition
by the States gives partial relief, nothing
short of national prohibition will ever do
away with the liquor traffic. Now, in the
first place, we desire to say that where pro-
hibition has been tried it has done more
good and closed up more saloons than all
regulating enactments have done in the his
tory OF our government Ex-senator Blaine
says that prohibition in Maine is a success
and that there is less drinking done there
than amongst any equal number of the
AngloSaxon race in the world Other States
have placed the plank of eternal prohi btion
in their constitutions and are coming in
with similar report We do not claim
that prohibition is an absolute and UNMARRIED
success, in fact, such thing is impossible
We find our daily papers teeming with ae-
counts of the most horrible murders vet
who dare say the law forbidding murder is
not a success? This law is violated and
trampled under foot every day. The logical
position taken by the gentleman is because
law does not bring universal obedience it is
failure. All can see the fallacy. But now
an able writer gives us the three conditions
by which license to sell liquor is granted
and after freely expatiating on each provis
ion, arrives at the conclusion that If these
three conditions were obeyed by the retailer
regulation would regulate. He states that if
liquor was not sold to those in the habit of
getting drunk. and if it was kept from the
A1runkard and the minor ''all other laws
would be useless" But would they? Let us
see. AS soon as young man is twenty
one years of age he becomes a fit
subject for the damnable work of the sa-
1oonist. He enters the saloon for the first
time an innocent youth; his blood has not
yet been heated with strong drink He takes
his first glass, then his second and third, un-
TIL ere he is aware, the appetite is on him,
and he is borne off in the relentless stream
and hurled into the ocean of drunkards
Then the saloonist must stop. After he has
!ruined the boy, deprived him of his good
name, and stamped him with infamy he
must cease his work of destruction and begin
on a new victim. Such a plan is nothing
but a system of wholesale drunkard manu-
featuring, and deserves not the least scin-
tilla of respect. say, if you must sell, sell
TO the drunkard. For Gods sake, spare the
about the law not being enforced
Is nothing but the baldest hypocrisy.
1t is true We have laws, but the majority of
yiAem have been planned by the sworn allies
Of the liquor oligarcy, and it is rare case