Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-07-12
HIGH LICENSE.
a Plain Talk upon tho Sof5ecs BY Row.
Theodore L. Ouyie<, DID.

a Plain Talk upon tho Sof5eos by Row.
Theodore L. Ouyier, DID.
Since the defeat of the Constitutional
Prohibition bill in the New York House
of Assembly a strong eifegs is being made
to pass bill for raising the fees for license
10 sell intoxicants- There are several good
reasons for hoping that this measure may
pass:
shors now exists III this State and is In full
shop is TO be licensed let the fee be 80 high
that it will not only reduce the number Of
the dens, but also reduce The number of
the liquor sellers, who are at present
most dangerous factor III all our local poll
tics.
.. A great many good citizens honestly
believe that a high license system will cur
tail dram selling and drunkenness. Now
let US have this question settled by actual
experiment. If any positive good comes
from high license we prohibitionisis will
be thankful IF no subst initial benefit is
produced, then we can say to Mr. Roose-
welt and DR.. Crosby and other advocates Of
the measure: Now we have fairly tried
your reaper and it viii not cut, please help
us to t-y ours" l am confident that the
failure Of every attempt 10 diminish the
drink traffic by any hcanse system (high
Or low Will only hasten the enrolment Of
Laws for the suppression OF the curse.
3. We Suppressi0nists are continually
tainted (in the Egeaeiq,g Post and other in
Auentisl joui7lals) with the charge, that if
we cannot have entire Prohibition we are
opposed to any measure for partial curtail-
ment. The best answer to these taunts
would be for every prohibibonist in the
Legislature to vote for the High License
bill, and ] hope they will do that very
thing. 1t is notorious tha5 the liquor sell
ers themselves are lighting the bill bitterly,
and whatever makes this oligarchy "squaal"
(as the politicians say is a measure that
should make US laugh.
T. We suppressionists need al the help
we can obtain A concerted opposition by
true temperance men to the imposition Of
higher license fees would only ALLEVIATE and
EN- bitter g. large clement in soCiety that we
ought 90 have with us, and viii yet have
with us if we practice little charity and
common sense. Good men can neither be
dFagooned or black guarded into GO-opera-
ton with us. Oar late beloved President,
William Z. Dodge, always deplored this
spirit of rccrininAII0n. He often said TO
me in substance, " | am for prohibition of
the dram-shops, but am willing to work
with anybody or everybody who is hon
estly trying 10 curtaii their number. If l
cannot get all / want III get all ! can" He
was wise man, and we miss his judiCious
cOunseis ~ well as his pginCely iberallty
most soreiy.
5. Finally, we suppressionists nlnst turn
all cur guns upon the liquor traffic, and
upon the drinking usagC5, and stop firing
hot shot at those Who in their own way,
gre honestly opposing the acoursed traffic.
The Lord Jesus Christ once rcbuked his
disciple John for saying, Master, we saw
one casting cat devils in thy name, and he
followed not as and We forbade him be
cause he fOllowcth not us. If Roosevelt
and Crosby will actually cast out any dey-
lis (Which we seriously doubt then let
them have all The credit they deserve, even
if they do not follow with us" pr0hibi-
ti0nists.
As to DR.. Crosby let me say, right out
in meeting" Il frank word or two. Upon
the question of total abstinence regard his
utterances as fundamentally wrong, and
shall oppose his utteranceS in every fair,
honorable manner. He has denounced our
national society bitterly. At the same time
he stands before the public as the President
of Society Tor the Suppression Of Vice"
and has won.no little applause by MS indie
iatigable efforts to shut up sinks OF lnlquity,
If he abuses US mistakenly we cannot afford
TO abuse him. He said to me lately. Il am
ready to go with you III any measure for
submitting to the people whether they will
have any hquOr-shops or not; if they vote
No. then every liquor+shop sught 70 be
locked up suinmarily." That means local
which ] stiil regard as the most feasible
method yet devised for dealing with the
curse and crime Of grog-setlipg. The time
will yet come when the logic Of events Will
compel DR. Crosby and all others like him
TO oppose sll iQuor-seiling and all liquor
king Let u5 not postpone that time
by wholesale personal denunciahons. AS
for my humble sell, my skin IS getting
thicker by the growth of time, and it does
not worry me when l occasionally get an
abusive letter from some violent zeaiot,
who may have been in his mothers arms
when / WAS laboring with Father Mathew
blessings on his menoryl) }, or pleading
with Neal Dow before Legislatures to carry
prohibitory enactments. Time has dissi-
pafed some dreams and disappointed some
hopes but has never shaken nay faith IL the
ultimate suppression Of the slaughter
houses Of gospel truth and righteous law.
What grieves me most is that there IS too
much attention turned to political action
alone, and too much neglect Of moral efforts
to stop the drinking usages. This is the
vital point. If we do nothing TO save the
young by total abstinence; il we do moth
ing to remove those usages which feed and
support the dram-saioon; If we rely solely
on the civil arm to arrest drinking and
drunkenness. then our great reform breaks
down at its very foundation. Do not let us
aim to build at the top aid neglect the
groundwork.