The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-23

hEF. Mn OOODWlN Is an elderly man, ana
he has an undoubted acquaintance with a
good deal of temperance literature. But
there is something SO grotesque as to cause
the thought that he meant it as joke in his
assertion that he never heard any temperance
man say that the liquor saloon was established
and maintained by law If Mr.. Goodwin
really never has heard this it is because he has
confined his reading to that class Of temper
ance literature not devoted to third-party po-
litical prohibition. The truth is that with
the third-party Prohlbitionists the assertion
named is the very alpha and omega of their
faith. Mr.. Conner did we'll to expose its fall
lacy; but we do not believe that all of them
will thank him, nor yet thank Mr.. Goodwin,
for his statement that the postulare is ga man
of straw" Mr.. Goodwin also says in his let
ter that no sensible temperance man ever dis
cusses the liquor "crime" on the same plane
as murder and robbery. Here is distinct
and gratifying advance, for we have ourselves
held high debate more than once with Mr..
Goodwin himself on this precise proposition.
The columns of the Journal will show
where Mr.. Goodwin and many others have met
the statement that a prohibitory liquor law
cannot be enforced, by the counter assertion
that neither are the prohibitory laws against
murder and robbery enforced We count the
advancement Of Mr.. Goodwin to where he can
look at this question from another and less
radical point of view as an important victory
for the cause of real, practical temperance
reform and legislation. On the third PROPOSE
ton of his letter we cannot agree with Mr..
Goodwin. His idea is that all men who are
opposed to the open and. defiant violation of
law by the liquor traffic and all who believe
the traffic should be restricted to any degree,
even to the ultimate of prohibition, should
sink the question of method and unite in
something or other which shall be mere
word and wind. We dc not believe this
will prove wise or strong attitude to take
thing by firing into the air, or by firing with
such aim as to hit if it be deer and miss if
it be calf. We believe the time is fully
come to have distinct and definite proposition
by which to curb and compel the arrogant
and law-defying liquor traffic. The Journal
has been free to avow itself In favor of high
taxation and local regulation as the most prac-
teal and efficient, and it is the method toward
which the thought of the country is steadily
and increasingly tending. The third party
prohibitionists, like DIR. Leonard, who would
prefer to have free-whisky fountain on
every street corner, and themselves hand out
the tin cups, than to have 'taxation and
regulation" law, will still be in the land,
and it is supremest folly to expect to gain
their support for practical legislation by any
means But, thanks to widespread intelli-
gence and the prevalence of common sense, we
believe this number to be too insignificant to
warrant the vast hosts of those who desire to
see something practical done with one of the
confessedly most pressing social questions of
the day, going into contest to fight wind
mill. We believe there is a rapidly crystalliz-
ing sentiment in the country upon the meth
cd We have indicated for the treatment of the
liquor traffic, and that to this complexion it
must come at last.