The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-11
a Review of the History of lssionary Work
by Dr. Mclean. of Cfnnati, at
Central Christian Iurch.
The First of Miss Smit's Series of
Bible Readings at Chit Church.
Rev. J. s. Mabie Shows Howl lie Jewish Tab
ernacle Was Constructed-Ie Memorial
Services at MayfOwe Church.
THE LIQUOR 0UFIoN.

The theme of the discourse REV. John Ala
Saster, d. D., pastor of Meri4l street NJ. E.
Church, last evening, was 'Il License. not
Prohibition or the True TRY and Best
Present Practice" The sermoaas timely in
terest, and it was heard hquite large
audience. The text chosen bIDr. Alabaster
for the discourse was from Exoss, xxi. $780,
% If an OK gore man or a man. that they
shall die; then the shall be surestoned and his
flesh shall not be eaten; but the owdof the shall
be quit.
% But if the OK were wont to Ri with his horn
In time past and it hath been testit his
and he hath not kept him in, but the hath killed
a woman; the shall bdtened, and his
owner also shall be put to death.
The text announces n pr1fple, DIR. Ala
caster said, which / desire to Oily to the liquor
Srafic namely, the responsisty of permit
ting the existence of a known e. The owner
Of vicious OK. knowing the anal to be such,
was to be put to death if the himal killed
man or woman. / desire 1 examine the
nature and workings of thdieense system
in the light of the abb principle. /
shall endeavor first, to- show what
ought to be aimed at as tho tru theory of the
temperance reform; and, seed, indicate the
blow that should now be strucI
Intemperance is an old themyet as Ruskin
says: There is nothing tit this age, from
whatever standpoint we survett needs more
physically intellectually an morally, than
thorough ventilation" So fars legislation can
have anything to do with tlIliquor traffic, its
methods practically all reducehemselves down
to two-license and prohibibn. One or the
other OF these modes must settled upon-a
Sax must be classed with one the other. 1t is
license or fine.
THE PRINCIPLE OF TAX 10 LICENSE.
In Indiana we have a licensl law and in In
dianapois a tax law. The lattr is the same in
its nature as the former. THE is no more real
difference between them than here is between
the statements that two and free are five. and
three and two are five.
Tax and license are one in finciple. Two Ia
bells do not make of them tw things. Under
license law the liquorsellelhays a certain sum
of money receives his permit nails it up over
bis bar, and begins bushes If you challenge
his right to soil he has only tpoint to his bit of
paper bearing the seal of te State The tax
law is misromer-for it imerely permit to
sell. and not revenue baseson the amount Of
1he sales.
First of all, what is lcese9 1t is authority
or liberty, given to do cerin act, or to engage
IN acertain occupation or prsuit The minister
receives permit, or license to preach from the
body of which he is a menier. The dealer in
gunpowder obtains hcase to enable him to
deal in That combustible license to sell in
4oxieating liquors enablespne thus obtaining
said license to engage in that pursuit-this
IS its definite ana dened purpose. The
State makes agreement wit the rumseller that
during the term of his lcese or tax, he shall
be allowed the free pursuit Of his calling, and
pledges him In it all the risfts, immunities and
protection which it can btSbw upon the most
honorable and respectable brSiness il the realm.
But what are the relations which the State
tins places the business of umselling 70 other
branches of business! She eclares it respecta-
BILE ard legal; she elevates to the grade and
level, legally, of any and of every other pursuit
IN community. There is nj ban placed upon it,
no stigma; it is egally-recgnizedand lawfully
sanctioned business, just as much as the selling
of sugar, or stoves, or medicines The rum
seller legally stands in the nnks alongside of the
man who follows the mosthonorable mercantile
pursuit
This reveals another fact, namely, the posi-
tlcn In which the State places her subjects with
refereqce to the liquor traffic. You and form
part of the State. They who make the laws
and who grant these prerogatives represent u.s.
what they do We do You and j are placed in
that anomalous position in which we not
only are obliged to endure the presence in bust
ness or the liquor saloon, but in which we
virtually, ourselves, are made partners in the
frafhc| The disgrace, the evil, is no longer
matter which belongs to the men who indvidu-
ally engage in the traffic, as in the case Of the
counterfelter, who is never thought of but as an
outlaw, and W hose occupation is never charged
TO the State. But when you and i go from our
pleasant homes, where we have been engaging in
family worship; from our prayer-meetings, where
we have been worshipiug God; from our churches,
where we have been drinking in hedeep spiritual
truths OF the Gospel; from our lecture rooms.
where we have been teaching or receiving high
and noble truths, we go along the streets to
pass saloons where intoxicating drains madden
men, women and youth and work untold mis-
chief to the State and misery TO society, which
haunts exist because You and /, in corporate
capacity in the State, say they may.
Hthis traffic is to be sanctioned by law then
il would seem that some benefit must accrue to
the State from it. How is it. them Does the
liquor traffic promote Industry Does it develop
WEALTH. Does it diminish taxaticnl What if
any, are its material benefits! These questlo MS
place US in the field of political economy, which
has been defined ''the science of national
wealth 1t has to do with the production of
wealth. its exchange, distribution and consnrnp-
ton. Political economy is a theme of vast i'm
portanee, as it touches the welfare of the State,
and the comfort and happiness of the people.
There are two classes OF agencies at work in the
State-constructive and destructive. The con-
struetive build up; the destructive tear down
We all know what are the sources of national
wealth and national security. Agriculture, man.
trade and commerce, railways, mines,
fisheries are chief among the sources of wealth;
but, IN order to the successful prosecution of
these industries and development of these re-
sources there must be certain degree
of knowledge and of skill, and GER
tain moral restraints and Incentives; hence
schools and art galleries, and churches become
promoters Of wealth rs they promote industry
and tend to develop brain power. All these
build up, strengthen. establish, tend to national
perpetuity. But the brothel, the gambling
saloon the burglars den. the counterfeiter's
trade, these add nothing to the State; these tend
40 destroy, TO corrupt, to demoralize, TO check
industry. to make insecure property In the
van o. all destructive agencies is the traffic in
intoxicating liquors. is there gambling hell
IN any community You will find not far away
the saloon. Is there a low theater where passion
Is fired and where lewd women lay in wait for
Ei1nple nenl Rum is there You viii find no
form OF vice that Is not stimulated and inspired
by it.
Viewing this traffic from an economic stand.
point, we find the use Of liquor paralyzes trade.
What y snent for liquor cannot be spent for