The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-01

| administration of Mayor Howell. In 1880
only six licenses were revoked for miscon-
| duct in 1881, thirteen; in 1882, under the
| present magistrate, Twenty-Five and in the
nine months or this year twenty-four revo-
| cations of licenses which shows certainly a
| growing effort to restrict the licenses of the
grogshop. In 1882, under the present adj
ADMINISTRATION, there were 3,03S applications
| for licenses of which 2l3 were refused. That
Is, one IN every twelve was refused. Fifty
two were carried over. For the nine months
of 1888 the applications have been 1853. of
which 273 have been refused, or one in every
nine and seYen-tenths, showing an increas-
! ing tendency to restrict and hold the men to
| the letter in their licenses. The arrests re-
! ported in 1882 were thirty; in 1888, so far,
! 100, all showing steady increase.
! But while | mark this growing tendency
| in the present administration on this side, it
| is but fair to the officers on the other that we
| have statement from them. In this con-
nection, Judge Rapello, of the Court of
| Appeals, has rendered a decision,
in which he decides that it is not enough
! evidence to convicG a man of selling liquor
| II he has it in his store; that it looks like
! brandy, or that a man caled for brandy; that
| it was poured out in answer to that call and
that it was drunk In the presence OF the wit
ness That is the decision of the Supreme
| Court. That is not evidence. You have got
to go and drink yourself before you can get
| the evidence. How are you going to get it?
| BY sreaking around and picking up the glass
| after every Tom, Dick and Harry. This law
is almost complete victory for the LIQUOR
dealer and complete bar to the procuration
OF evidence. What do the commissioners
say? We undertake to limit the saloons; we
know how, but how can we collect evidence?
The grand jury are unwilling to find any in
| dictments. When these cases are brought be-
| fore lower magistrate and a petit jury is
| summoned, you cannot get a conviction. No
| petit jury can you get to convict in Brook
| lyn. There was a case, the man saw him
drink, saw him call for it, and the witnesses
! stepped up and tasted it themselves,
and they knew enough about rum to
know it was liquor, and there was no con-
testing evidence, and the intelligent petit
| jury discharged the prisoner, saying he was
not guilty? The police say, what is the use
of arresting the men? We have arrested
men by the hundred. What says the dis
| trict-attorney? We cannot get a conviction.
It's all loves labor lost. 1t all comes to this
| that the public sentiment of the citizens of
! Brooklyn won't maintain the law. That is
| the trouble. You can't throw it off on the
mayor; you cannot throw it off on the COM
missioners, or on Congress, or on the judges.
1t is the common people who won't stop the
evil of the sale of liquor. You build wind
mill and then damn it because it won't
move The man who wants to be mayor
thinks he can do everything; the man who is
mayor cannot do anything. [Sotto voce, to
the reporter, Don't put that DOWN. You
are only willing to vote for the law
and expect that it will do your
duty for you. The men say Don't
allowany sale of liquor They want prohi-
bition On this subject speak as ideaist,
looking at it on the one side OF what is best,
and on the other what is attainable. The exclu-
sion of liquor from all sale is just one, but
the question is will the people hold up the
legislation after they get it. 1t is pretty easy
is fO oft
you have got it. Maine is pointed out. she
is sort of a country cousin way out in the
elbow of the United States. Maine has sue
ceeded with prohibition pretty well, but if
you suppose it has cleaned out drinking
there you are greatly mistaken. If men want
to drink there they know where to go and
get it. Kansas is pointed out. l have just
come from there. A friend told me while
there that the sale had increased since the
passing of the constitutional amendment
Iowa is just like it. Ohio has made the
effort and it has turned the State into the
hands of the Democratic party-a very
good party-made upof very honorable men,
most of them, but never heard that it was
temperance party. Massachusetts has tried
all manner of legislation. and now that
bright and shining light, Benjamin Butler
will be made Governor When he is up for
President am going to ask leave of alb
sence from my church and I am going down
| South to see them vote for him.
My lesson to-day is not an excuse for the
drinkers, the sellers of liquor; not TO excuse
the license system; but my mission is to say
to you that before you undertake to blame
Others condemn yourselves. There is the
root of the mischief. l believe there is a
power in human society to free itself from
all this evil, not to-day or tomorrow, for it
is chronic evil but believe society has
the inherent power to cure the body polite.