The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1883-09-29
John BRIGHT ON TEMPERANcE
New York Post.


A unique and rather remarkable speech
on temperance was made recently by
John Bright at Birmingham, England.
The Temperance Alliance had completed
new and handsome coffee-house build
ing called the :. Golden" and they turned
naturally to Mr.. Bright as the most suit
able orator for the dedication exercises.
Mr.. Bright is himself a seetotaller, and is
profoundly interested in the temperance
cause yet we doubt if any assemblage
Of Temperance advocates ever before
listened to such an address. He an
nounced at the outset that he was not
able to agree with those persons who be-
lieve that drunkenness can be eradicated
by prohibitory legislation. The question.
he argued, was, after all, one of politics,
and its advocates had not used very adj
mirable tactics They had gone before
parliament with bill whose success, 10
the present state of opinion, was abso-
lutely impossible. They proposed at
one step to get everything or get nothing.
They declined to go, step by step, as all
great reforms and Improvements in legis-
manner gradual and in accordance
with the public opinion of the country.
This was not only unwise, il was also I'M
Just. It was his opinion that If q trade in
country is permitted by Law it has a
right to be defended by law. and so long
as that trade is no, condemned by par
lament it has a right to demand that it
shall not be subjected to passionate and
aasty legislation. The prohibi,ory bill
proposed to parliament showed no con-
sideration for the interest of the keepers
Of public houses. There were 900
houses which sold intoxicating drinks in
Birmingham, and the bill provided no
compensation to them for the destruc-
ton Of their business, but would exter-
inmate them as if they were vermin. Mr..
Bright called this Legislation @by hurri-
cane," and was sure II could not be con-
sidered either statesmanlike or just.
He then passed 10 a consideration of
what he regarded as just and statesman
ike policy, and here his views, although
in some instances they appear imprzcaic-
able, are so broad and liberal that they
are worthy Of the thoughtful attention of
all Temperance advocates He would
place the power to issue licenses in the
hands of the municipal corporations, and
WUuku nave tuCiii iOioi00(A W in~A~AS~
the number at present granted, except in
proportion to the population The cor
porations should have the power, within
certain limits, Of fixing The amour: Of the
license tax, and when the temperance
sentiment grew stronger in town or
borough the traffic might be limited by
increasing the amount Of the tax. A
part OF the money obtained from taxes
might be used to pay the police expenses,
thus reducing the burden of local tax
alton, and another portion might be used
as compensation to the owners Of houses
which the corporation might decide to
suppress outright as being injurious to
The community. The corporation might
select each year the houses which were
most injurious and ill-condncted, suppress
them, and pay their owners just COM
pensation for their loss out of the license
tax fund. Mr.. Bright thinks this plan
would gradually close out all the dram
shops, and would make the public houses
which were licensed more orderly and
respectable. As the Temperance opinion
Strengthened, further suppression would
follow, and gradually the sentiment oi
the whole community would be I'M
proved.
This compensation plan viii strike