The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-28
LICENSE LAWS AGAIN,

Christian Temperance Union, one commend
| their efforts to enforce a license law, and the
| other denouncing all license laws as unjust,
| unwise and unchristian" With the argu
ments against license laws we have nothing to
do; they are such as are well known. To talk
| about ''blood money" in connection with taxes
| upon either crimes or evils is to in
| dulge in rhodomantade that is not
| accepted as argument by the great
mass Of people. 1t is neither new
go into the school fund, and assist in swelling
| the moneys out of which the children OF the
State are educated. It will scarcely do to'say
that in levying such fines the State '1egalizes"
or becomes partner in the wrongs against
which they are assessed, nor will many people
be found to echo the cry Of "blood money
against these forced contributions from evil.
There are not wanting those who think there
| is sound reason and broad ground for compell-
| tribute to good ends But this by the way
The defense on behalf Of the Union for its
| inharmonous declarations is both specious
and unfounded. It was to be presumed that
| the very first excuse made would be that the
effort of the police commissioners to enforce
the liquor license law was commended because
e. Eox 49, 1ox
and deprecated the growing laxity respecting
obedience to law; but surely no member of
of the Union, who cares to escape the evident
| implication of lodging, would make such
| plea On the face Of the resolutions this was
not their reason. The general enforcement of
| law was not in mind, nor was it con-
sidered; it was the enforcement of
| a srecial law and that law statute
| supposed to be directed against the saloon in
terest This excuse of our correspondent is
so self-evident a bubble as to require no fur
ther comment.
The.second excuse is with respect to our
statement about the relation of the Abolition
lists to the fugitive slave law. This is simply
| amazing, in view of the facts of recent his
| tory with which every one must be acquainted.
| The Journal said the indictment brought
| against the fugitive slave law by the Adolf
| tionists was, that it was unjust, unwise and
unchrstian," but that they did not couple
with this any commentator of United States
courts and officers for their efforts to enforce it.
| Our friend thinks we were very "unfortu-
| nate in this reference and proceeds at once
| to say: 'The Abolitionists denounced it as un-
| just, unwise and unchristian, and they did
not feel called upon to make special contribu-
seeing that the alleged fugitive had fair trial,
they took no steps to obstruct it, but, on the
other hand, the more sagacious of them urged its
enforcement to the letter as the best means of
showing its character" We might rest the
| question Of unfortunate" reference to the
fugitive slave law upon the concession made
! in the first part of the sentence quoted-it is
but paraphrase Of the assertion we made
but the latter part of the sentence is so
a notice Where is the old Adolf
/ ZIONIST who will stand for a moment
under the imputation that he did nothing
more to obstruct the enforcement of the fugi-
tive slave law than simply to see that the
/ fugitive had fair triall II is an Infamous
slur upon their memory. What, in the name
of humanity and of freedom, did the personal
liberty laws of Massachusetts and of other
States mean, and what was the underground
railroad, with its stations Of food, shelter and
hiding, and its numerous conductors" and
abettors of the poor, hunted slave, but
legal and organized opposition to the enforce
ment Of the slave hunters statute? It is
simply amazing that any man can write such
a travesty on history and such a
libel on humanity as this sentence
of our correspondent. And it does
not help the matter to talk about the "most
sagacious;" that is a very cheap and tawdry
trick Of one who. had he been among the
'smost sagacious' at the time when the Adolf
tionists were making their fight, would have
been justly treated to the contempt Of the
less 'fsagacious' but more courageous and
consistent Abolitionists. This is all that is
necessary to dispose of the letter of our friend.
The Journal cannot be betrayed into dis
cussion of supposed differences of opinion
as the Womans Christian Temperance Union
We only regret that it cannot see its way clear
to give its assistance to others equally as
earnest and anxious for the better nromotion