The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-02-07

Temperance LegiS-
lation.
To the Editor the Indianapolis Journal.
l see the Journal is advocating the enact
ment by the Legislature of a more rigid
license law. This would be much better than
prohibition, because it would be more likely
to be enforced yet 1 am impressed with the
belief that the present law is in advance of
public sentiment and every law that is not
actively sustained by public sentiment is
practically a dead letter. Having been placed
in a position to know something about the
difficulties which surround the officers
charged with the enforcement of the criminal
laws, 1 am surprised that the liquor law is as
we'll enforced as it is In most of the counties
in Indiana the enforcement of the LIQUOR
law is left entirely to the prosecuting -attor-
ney, and he is denounced if he makes any
same people if he does not If great crime
has been committed the entire community
rally to the support of the officers and
make the enforcement of the law compare
lively an easy task. But with the violations
of the liquor law it is quite different. One
man can do very little toward enforcing the
law, no matter what authority he is
clothed with, without the moral support
and assistance of the community, and
the prosecuting who attempts
to enforce the liquor law is frequently re-
garded as a greater criminal than the saloon
keeper who violates it, 1t seems to me that
the proper field for labor for those who are
earnestly interested in temperance reform is
not in the Legislature nor on the hastings,
but in the courts Let them say to the prose-
cutting attorneys and other officers intrusted
with the enforcement of the law that they
will support and assist them, and let them
give their judges to understand that they,
too, are expected to aid in the enforcement
of the la W. One years rigid enforcement of
the present law would, break up four-fifths
of the saloons in Indiana and reduce the
number of dram drinkers at least one-haf.
If the temperance people of Indiana will
turn their attention for one year to seeing
that the law is enforced, more real practical
reform will be accomplished in that year
than in ten years spent in endeavoring to
have laws enacted and constitutional provis-
ions established which are ahead Of the SEN
timent of the times. We have too much
law-making and not enough law-enforcing:
MADISON, Feb. 3 c.
The Question of Liquor Restriction.
To the Editor of the indianapolis journal:
There is certainly no very good reason why
the New York Tribune should think it re-
markable that 'entire unanimity" should
be found in the expressed opinion OF The
eight gentlemen quoted on the subject of
prohibition. The same ''unanimity'' would
be found in the expressed opinion Of any of
the leading and pronounced prohibitionists
of the country, or of the leading distillers or
brewers. l am not prepared to speak of the
others, but so far as DR.. Thomas is concerned
he is and has been. well known as a compro-
mise man on all subjects-man without set
tied and positive convictions. DR.. Potter
thinks 1.-The present drift of the Temperance
movement is in thedEection of wise restric-
ton" AS matter OF fact, comparatively
little has ever been done in the history OF
legislation upon this subject other than Of a
distinct restrictive character; and the result
has been that the whisky traffic has contin-
ued to grow more aggressive and defiant
with every day under all merely restrictive