The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-25
EVILS OF INTEMPERANCE.
The Fourth Night of the Temperance
Centennial Celebration.
Talks on Reform Measures in the Temper
aLce Cause-An Address by Captain J. B.
Conner Favoring High License.

The fourth ight of the temperance centennial
celebration at Roberts Park Church was fairly
well attended, and the exercises interesting
throughout The first address was by Mr.. John
g. Blake on 1.-THE Relation of Intemperance to
the State Reform School," The speaker said the
relation was the same as between the saloon and
the Jail. whisky and the poor house, irtemperance
and crime. Of the 420 boys at the State reform
atory, fully one-half of that number are there
directly because of the evil influence of alcoholic
beverages and one-fourth more have been driv-
en- there because of homelessness and intemper-
ate parents. The inmate of the school is almost
invariably from the home Of debauchery and
sin, made so by drink. AS to prohibition
and high license the speaker stood en- the fence,
but was in favor of the best and most effective
method Of throttling the traffic. He was in
clined to think the Prohibtionists had the better
theory, but the advocates of high license, the
better practical method.
The next speaker was Rev. E. A. Bradley,
who read-a most elaborate and bly-prepared
paper on the subject, History and Advance of
Prohibition" He believed that prohibition and
salvation would come at once and together. The
doctrine of the Scripture is ''Drink neither wine
something ought to be done to check the power
and evil of rum. The Hindoo law condemned
the soul of tipping priest to live in worm
Chinese law punished the drunkard with death.
The Orientals punished wine bibbers by pouring
molten lead down their threats and refusing
them the privilege Of marrying. The Grecians
and Romans had their prohibitory laws, and the
soldier or statesman that INDUCED in strong
drink was deprived of his rights The liquor
traffic was first legalized in England under the
reign of Henry VIII and Elizabeth. In their
day this sign was often erected
over q rum shop Drunk for a penny;
dead drunk for two pence" The early American
colonists passed prohibition laws, which were
highly successful; and later on Benz amin Rush
and Lyman Beecher organized the first temper
ance societies in this country. Among the first
liquor laws were those prohibiting the use of rum
IN the army, navy, and among the Indians The
speaker held that the Legislature had no right
to pass laws to injure the people, and that it is
just as wrong to legaliZe the sale OF rum as the
sale OF leprosy or any other curse to humanity.
Ii the saloon is a nuisance, the law should deal
with it AS with other puisances and abolish it.
Prohibition is the doctrine Of common sense.
The business Of the principles Of prohibition as
applied to the sale of liquor no less evident
than the same as applied to the sale of opium.
ment or moral suasion is like endeavoring
to stop a swiftly-moving express train with o
puff of wind. AS the case stands to-day the IA
cilities for intoxication are legalized The curse
is condoned and upheld by the government.
License laws have failed in London, and in Indi
annapolis. with its worse police commissioners
and city officials to aid the cause of rum, the
failure is even more conspicuous. John Adams
had the right idea when he said that nothing but
making alcoholic beverages scarce would aid the
cause of sobriety High license was tried in the
early American colonies, and was signal fail
ure. Prohibition poorly enforced in Boston
people were comfortable under its enforcement
and had good homes and profitable
employment In the counties of many
Southern States to-day prohibition is
1000 people will testify to its value and efica
cy. Prohibitory laws are everywhere as eff
cient as the laws on gambling and other nui-
sances. In Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine
Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina the laws on
prohibition are models of success. The consti-
nationality of prohbtory laws is no longer
doubted. They rest on the same basis as the law
| on obscene literature and other degrading and
evil tendencies. The only liberty which prohi-
bition curtails is the liberty to do harm to ones
self-neither does prohibition prohibit any
one from buying liquor from the gov
eminent in proper form and for
righteous purpose. The speaker believed
that prohibition is based on the broadcast grounds
of patriotism and craftsmanship. 1t mus be
enforced by the ballot Temperance is rooted in
| politics. and will grow more powerful with each
election.
The last speaker of the evening was Capt J.
B. Conner, who presided over the meeting. His
theme was High License" The speaker said:
There are many who honestly misapprehend
what is meant by the phraseology, high license
| when applied to the continued existence of the
| saloon. Th@eXistence of the saloon by common
public consent is its license The late refusal in
this State to take action against it is the present
| assurance of the continuance of this Ii
cense. So we see that the saloons are
| licensed already, by the highest authority known
| to the form of government by the people for the
| people, and the people who consent to it have
| refused to withdraw that license by displacement
! with something better. Therefore. the present
and practical question is. what shall be done now,
under this status quot The public conscience
| with a zeal tempered by wisdom says tax this
| already licensed and hurtful business heavily,
and while reducing the number Of the saloons to
| the minimum, also compel the business,
out of its large profits, to pay
the expenses and carry the burdens it occasions,
| and take that tax off of honest Industrious,
! sober people. This statement of the situation,
| and Interpretation of what is meant by high
| license can not be successfully controverted.
| Mere sentiment is nothing. Rhetorical appeal
| to the emotions is nothing. Strong, hard, prac-
teal sense, the courage of honest convictions, is
| what is needed in this great emergency; the
| authority to put down the saloon in counties
Wnere the people VIII vote yea; the rlgnC 10 pie
| the burdens which they create on the saloons in
| counties where the people vote for their reten-
| tion. This would be as near a perfect adjust
ment of the matter as will ever be arrived at till
the moral sense shall be so quickened as to sup
| press the whole business. 1t seems to me great
| mistake that any one any class arrogate to
| themselves that they alone are the only prohi-
| bitonists since it is so plain that the element
| of prohibition enters into every high tax
| and repressve measure that is proposed to hedge
about that which we have failed to DESTROY
None of us attain to our ideal in any of our un-
| dertakings in this world. To stand still
and do nothing because we cannot do
| all, is not wise. That would be
| in keeping with the wisdom of the man who
when he found the trunk of great oak tree
across the road he was travelling, refused to
brush away the limbs and go around it, but sat
down to wait for it TO rot; or the man who find