The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-08
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
Prohibition and High License.

fact. 1t must be conceded that some who
have assumed the leadership Of the temper
ance work lately are indiscreet in their utter
ances. They not only attach an Importance
to prohibition that its real friends do not,
but they give it definition that was never
intended. To hear them talk one would sup
pose that the prohibition movement contem-
plated the utter destruction of alchoholic
beverages. Its real friends never thought of
such thing, and no prohbitory law was
ever framed with such a purpose. The
than thirty years old, never con-
templated anything of the kind, nor
the Kansas law. They both made
liberal provisions for their existence, an d
the fact that these provisions are liberal is
absolutely proven by the uniform testimony
of all who live in those States, and by all
who visit them. The common saying is:
you have no trouble to get all the liquor
you want" but the equally uniform testimo-
ny is that sit cannot be obtained at tippling-
houses, so that reduced to their real intent
and meaning and to their practical workings,
these laws are prohibtory only of places of
public tippling, and that is all that the more
discreet prohibitionists ask for. They ask
only for law that will prohibit these public
schools OF vice. How far it may be necessary
TO control the manufacturing and general
commerce of liquors is matter of expert
menu aud will depend largely upon the per-
sistehce of the traffic. That may make it nee
essary to hamper the general traffic very much
But you are most eminently right in saying
that the liquor traffic will allow no re-
MIGHT said haiti 10
folly to try to compromise on high license or
local option or any other halfway measure
and that the temperance people might as
well make up their minds to strike for pro-
hlbition, pure and simple, and fight it out
on that line and no other Take the action
of the late Legislature: While the pro-
hibitionsts We're absorbed on their consti-
tutional amendment scheme, high license
bill was introduced in the House It met
with much favor and gave promise of pass
ing. 1t had already received amenements
that would have made it valuable. and
others were pending when the liquor league
through their leader, Mr.. Heffren, took the
alarm and had it laid on the table, ostensibly
for printing, but really to shelve it, and
there it lies to this day. The
present law was written by the
Freedom and Rights Association, the LIQUOR
organization out of which the Auti-prohibi-
ton League of to-day grew, and no strategy
or cunning will ever secure the slightest
modification of that law that shall interfere
with the Liberty" of traffic to keep tippling-
houses. 1t is waste of breath and of pen
to talk or write about high license. or low
license, or local option, or anything else.
Let our watchword be prohibition and moth
ing else, and then let us wrest our name
from the mischievous use to which it has
been prostituted by indisereet friends and
malicious foes, and not only proclaim that
We mean only to prohibit those nurseries of
a bon u
houses always are, but let us show by the
workings of prohibition in Maine
and Kansas, and everywhere, that
this is all that has ever been
attempted by any prohibitory law, and all
that has ever been accomplished by the most
thorough enforcement of prohibition. What
ever OF inconvenience may exist under prohi-
bition, as to the general commerce in liquors,
is all owing to the stubbornness and danger
business OF the tratfic-as we are accustomed
to put handouts and letters on class OF
minalS because it is unsafe to allow them
the free use OF hands and feet. Their in
herent viciousness requires personal re-
straints bordering on cruelty, as the traffic's
arrogance suggests measures of restraint not
otherwise necessary. And | will saw for the
tho usandth time since the annulment of the
prohibitory law of 1855, that there is album
dant authority i'll the present constitution,
as construed by the Supreme Court in the
1otcue Cdec, anu dS pOunueO DV tilab court
all these intervening years, to as completely
prohibit tipping houses in Indiapa as it ever
has been IN Maine, or it could be under
any amended constitution.
7. A. GOODWIN.
Sermon on Railroad-Pass Beggars.
To the Editor Of the Indianapolis Jouruai
l begin my homily with some remarks of
a personal nature. Before entering the rail
road service l belonged for a number of
years to firm doing very heavy shipping
business An express stipulation of the
partnership agreement was that under no
circumstances should either member solicit
or accept pass from railroad or transpor-
tation company over which we received or
shipped goods. make this mention to show
that some very decided opinions which may
crop out in my remarks antedate my railroad
connection.
1t is noticeable and rather peculiar fact
that many men who preserve thorough hon
esty toward individuals show decided moral
weakness in their dealings with corpora
tons. He whose word in ordinary business
transactions is unimpeachable, scruples not
to lie himself out of his just proportion of
taxes; he who would scorn to take advantage
OF his fellow. or, any way, would blush with
shame if caught in mean act, boasts loudly
if by chance ne has succeeded in beating"
railway-eyen il out of but a twenty five cent
fare. There seems to be a moral obliquity
which defines the golden rule as applying
only to what we do to individuals and not
TO what we do to a collection of individuals
Corporations are generally looked upon as
literally ''soulless" bodies lmpersonal, in
sensible to moral obligations themselves,
therefore not entitled to any consideration
based on precepts of moral law.
Except the several forms of government
city State and eeneral-which every body
feels bound to cheat directly or indirectly, l
know of no impersonality against which