The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-09
Fred Douglass ON Prohibition.

TO the Editor of the indianapolis journal:
There is SO much good sense in the letter to
the New York Tribune by Fred Douglass, copied
in the journal of the 9th on %hIsled Prohibition
lists, that ask the privilege OF making it more
pointed by correcting oneor two misappr
which are too common, and which are misleading
many good men. The first is that which as
sumes that the prohibition question is sidetached
from an questions affecting the general, moral
and material interests of the country '.Prohibi-
tionists regard the immense taxes which grow
out of the liquor traffic and the pauperism and
crime resulting from drunkenness as very ,seri-
ously affecting s'the general, moral and material
interest of the country" Then, again, he makes
the too common mistake when he confounds pro-
hibition with temperance. They are
distinct and dlssimilar, though they
often interloek. A great many
temperance men are Prohibitionists, but not all
Seme.of the best temperance men are not and
never were Prohibitionists, while many .Rrohibi-
tionists are not and never were temperance men,
either in theory or practice. They look upon
prohibition as purely an economic measure, and
not in any sense moral one, and SO far they
are right. The temperance man who regards
prohibition as anything more than something
bearing upon the temperance question is de-
material one, while temperance belongs exclIl-
sively to the moral realm, and can be promo ted
only by moral means.
Mr.. Douglass is both happy and unhappy in his
comparing the prohibition movement with
the antisslavery movement of thirty to
forty years ago. That had its moral and its
economic phases. The moral phase found its
field in the pulpits and in the anti slavery so
cieties of that day, and the center and the cir
conference of every thought, word and deed
was-slavery is wrong-morally wrong These
were Abolitioaists, and they lived and moved
and had their being in the atmosphere of pure
morals, and scorned any appeal to SO gross and
sensuous an argument as dollars and cents.
They correspond very nearly with our modern
temperance men, the real teet0talers. Then
there were antslavery men who cared not a
copper for the right or wrong of slavery, but
they were wide awake to its economic phase
They saw in it giant that claimed allthe lfices
all the territories, aud the right to-
make war or conclude peace in fits
interest. regardless of all other interests These
began to carry the question into politics. All
along there were Abolitlonists who were not
anti-slavery men, and anti-slavery men who
cared not a cent for the right or wrong of sla-
very. and boosted that they were not and never
had been Aboitionists yet the two divisions in
terlocked, and the anti.slavery men abolished
slavery while, SO far as appears to mortal vision
the Abolitionist, as such, would not have done it
in q hundred years
AS to the wisdom or unwisdom of the Prohib-
t1onists In their political movements I have
nothing to say now, further than that they don't
always please me; butletus give them affair show
g,rohibition and temperance are as distinct and
sesparafe to-day as ab0litionism, representing
the moral convictions Of the right and wrong Of \
slavery, and antislaEeryism, representing the \
economic phases of slavery were thirty years ago
They blend and interlock considerably, vet A
they will forever be distinct. Just when or how
the economic, the purely political and material
phase Of the liquor question, will be solved, no
human ken can foresee. 1t will probably be \
through prohibition; but how prohibition is to 4
be obtained, or enforced after obtained know
not But have an abiding faith that it will be 4
obtained, but never through a Prohibition party,
as such. and never until in some way Prohibi- |
ti0nists make themselves heard and felt at the 4
polls. 1 have my own theory as to details, but /
they nre not IN harmony with the young Pro |
hibitionists who think they know It all; and I 4
am too old to be contentious so that shall do i
my duty as understand it, and let both sides i
seoid me- II ut viii comfort them any. PRohibi- 4
tlon will come, and 1t will be enforced, and that
before long. IT, A GOODWIN.