The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-08-02
B. GIBBS ON PROHIBI rION.
NoNEcEsslTYFoRANEWPAR PARTY
Extreme Demands of Over-RsaIous Tenn
perance Advocates - What Mis-
tory Teaches-The Last Lesls-
lature and the Issue.


DALLAS, July 22.-J. B. Sawyer, Denton
Texas:
DEAR SIR:-Your favor with en-
closure of newspaper clippings re
ceived and should have been replied TO
at an earlier date. Your sentiments
on the prohibition question are well
worthy of earnest thought, AM have
received my careful consideration.
don't suppose there ID any mao living
who has at heart the good of his fellow
man but what desires to SEQ society
rid of the evils of intemperance
| Drunkenness ia decreasing very rap.
idly all over the United States, and
| especially In the South, and the
reformation in Texas in this respect
has been wonderful. II the friends OF
temperance could agree on policy
that would destroy or restrict to mar
rover circles the pernicious influences
incident to the retail of alcoholic Ii.
quors, much good would be accom-
plished and much expense of
government saved. Such O pol
| Icy can be justified as q
police regulation and is really not a
sumptuary law in q Democratic sense.
The greatest difficulty is the largest
number of prohibition leaders are too
radical in their demands, and for this
reason will in all probability defeat
any moderate and elective legisla-
ton, and by denOuncing loral option
and other moderate and gradual
reforms will check the good that is be-
ing done. There are great many
strong local optloDists that take no
stock in these prohibition leaders and
who believe that the haste to form q
new party is not so much in the inter
est OF tho suppression of tho whisk Y
| business as III the interest Of certain
mon desiring Office. Thor speeches
and literature arc all directed against
| whisky and saloons, yet whom Il
comes to legislation they demand and
absolute prohibition of even wine and
beer which contribute but little il any
thing TO the evils Of IntomperanCe.
| The amendment 10 the constitution
demanded by the new Prohibition
party at its organization In Dallas and
! the ono which was defeated in the last
| Legislature actually prohibited citi-
zon from making wine out Of his own
| grapes and drinking it on his own
table; in fact, under that amendment
no old woman in the country could
have made blackberry cordial except
in violation Of law. lt is clear to my
mind that no such legislation will ever
| prevail very long at time in free
country, and | can easily see in this
| question where Legislation, instead OF
being fair and who!esOma,m may become
| tyranuiCal and undemOcratiG. / be.
lieve that tho present local option con
| sHtutional provision, if properly GU.
! forced, ~ the best legal aid TO the tenn.
| peranoe cause that can DO devised
| Religion and Che church by the incu!.
chtton OF moral ideas has done much
| for society and tho better enforce.
mont of law, but the iron h2nd of the
law has never yet been successful in
intoxicating, preserving or enforcing a
moral sentiment.
We can't reasonably expect sudden
| and radical change in tho habits and
opinions OF the people, and the change
TO he effective aud permanent in 10
suits must be based on genuine re-
form in public sentiment and not the
result OF spasmOdic agitation or LEXIS
lgtiuu.
It's easy enough TO shape legislation
for the suppression OF those evils
which all enlightened citizens agree
are wrong, Uub these social and quasi
moral questions arc moro difficult al
solution, ana the best interests OF 80.
ciety require that all puiticll action
OF thcm ehOnli DO tho result OF cool,
culm Judgment,
tho histories OF other couutri s
anu eT0n some chapter8 iu the history
OF our own country teaCh us that some
| Imes Que element Of society may PC
| como so anxious for tho moral reform
on ano'her element as 20 feet justified
in the most extreme meRsureg, | be.
lioye tho best interests OF the people
Will be sEbseTved and tho final settle
ment Of the matter more permanent
and harmonious, If i'm dealing with il
we pursue tho course pursued in Geor.
gia and other Southern States, and
oontine ourselves TO local option, at
least until there is genuine reform in
public sentiment strong enough 70
give reasonable assurance that the
people really desire and will enforce
general prohibitOry legislation.
Those who favor prohibition from q
sincere desire to sec the min
nimum Of intemperanco reduced
should Gear in mind that
IN those countries where
the largest amounts per capita of wine
and beer are manufactured and con-
sumod and where 1t is purest and
cheapest the proportion OF drunkon-
ness Is much smaller than In the
United States; and oven in Texas
there are no more law-abiding and
thrifty communities than those coun,
ties in the Southwest where the con.
sumption OF native wine and beer is
very much greater than In this section
of the State.
All these and many other things
which l have not the time now to mon,
ton, should be considered in shaping
prohibltory legislation, for no perma.
nent good will result either to society
or tho temperance cause by q hasly
settlement of tho question, whero the
dissatisfied and nearly equal minority
oil to day may become the arrogant
majority by the morrow.
lbwll DO OF no benefit for public
public opinion and legislation to pen.
dnlate first to one extreme and then To
tnn other Of this question.
fhere are very few political cues
lions That haven't q wholesome me.
dium upon which all conservative
men can agree aud believe this is as
true OF the temperance as OF any other
question: We can all agree that there
should DO legislation looking to the
suppression Of certain manifest evil,
attending tho retail o! alcoholic Ii
quors, but our lively appreciation O
and adherence for the evils of intern
perance should not lead us TO adop
questionable and Intellectual Legisla
tive remedies.
CONVENTIONAL AMENDMENT,
The fact that the last legislature die
not submit the prohibition
amendment does not iustit,
| the creation of new party and doesn'
prove any want of lioerality on tn,
part OF the Democratic party of Texas
: me trainers of our constitution wer,
well pleased with their work, auC
from the vote received for its adoption
: 30 We're the people, and they deter
mined that this instrument SHOULD
never DO amended in any particular
unless tho people, speaking first by
legislative districts, should be practi
cally unanimous In favor of sucl
amendment In order TO preserve 4
3 intact us long as possible, they pro
, Vlued IN tho instrument itself that n,
amendmont should ever be submitted
until II first received the vote of two
! thirds of all the members.elect 20 eacl
: branch OF the Legislature, SO long ms