The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-02-03
N#w HARMONY, IND, Feb. l.

70 the Editor o, the Indianapolis journal.

TO the Editor the Indianapolis journal:
Will you suffer me to give the reason why
l said in a former communication that pro-
hibition versus free liquor was the only issue?
1. We have been regulating the traffic in
Indiana for these seventy-five years. Since
1907, when the Territorial Legislature passed
its first act to Regulate the sale of spirituous
liquors." down to the present time more
than hundred laws have been passed all of
them save one looking to the regulating of
the traffic If you will examine these
laws you will find that they cover
every possible phase of the license
question, from no license fee and fine of
one dollar up to Governor Hendricks's
''well-regulated license law" with its 500
fee and $40 penalty; and what has been the
result? Under these restrictions the business
has grown to its present gigantic proportions.
1t has made State and national organizations
through which it proposes to control courts
and legislatures. 1t has already captured
one political party, and has flanked the other
Now, what is to be done? License, you
say? But it has grown to its present alarming
proportions underthat system. I see no alter
native but to take the bull by the horns or to
retreat from the legislative field. But if we
must retreat, we ask, as a last favor, that the
State Withdraw its protection from the mon
ster-strip from its face the mask of respect
ability which the license gives it, and let
State is not willing to help US protect her
citizens from this terrible curse, then, as
favor, we ask that she be neutral in the fight
The moral force of this country is willing TO
wage the war with intemperance, but we ask
the State not to place the enemy under the
shield of legal protection.
2 Drunkenness is an evil, and to make
drunkard is a crime but drunkards are made
by drinking liquor, and to lend the authori-
ty OF law to the making aud selling OF liquor
is to legalize crime.
3. We treat all other crimes against soci-
ETY. by prohibitory laws-why should liquor
selling be an exception? Why does the con-
stitution say. No lottery shall be author
lied, nor shall the sale of lottery tickets be
allowed" Are lotteries Il greater evil than
dram-shops?
A. 1t is assumed that prohibition is fail
ure, and the names of eight wise men are
given us to sustain the assumption But
have these good men been engaged in the tenn
perance work, and are they familiar with
the plans and methods of the liquor power?
Why did not the Christian Union ask the
opinion of Dodge and Stearns, of his own
city, who have been in the fight for fifty
years2 Why not ask Senator Frye, or Neal
Dow, or some other man who has witnessed
the operation of prohibition in Maine for
thirty years? To talk of these eight men as
Headers in the temperance work" is an
absurdity Barnum has made a few speeches
in favor OF personal abstinence, but his pro-
feSsion is a Snowman, AID if the Others have
ever been in the temperance work we have
never heard of il. know of 40 temperance
worker of ten years experience who has faith
in anything but prohibition.
p IT PpouU