The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-06-19
Written for The MONITOR.
The License LRM.

1t is claimed that the license law pre-
vents Drunkenness. Now demand its re-
peal on the ground that it fails to do what
it proposes First it multiples the
dramshops and thus intensfies the tempta-
ton: then it increases drunkenness by Civ
ing faint shadow of responsibility to the
aecursed traffic, because many young
man will be induced to enter (so-called)
licensed house when it would be impcssi-
BILE to get him to enter a filthy groggery
until he has formed the unnatural appe-
tite for strong drink and is bordering hard
on the gates of he'll, when he is prepared
to enter the filthiest Stun for a last draught
of liquid fire before he plunges into an
awful future. Now the only remedy for
such a blighting curse is no license for
crime. But we are told that prohibition
will not prohibit, nor stop the sale or use
of intoxicants. and | am quite ready to
concede that it will not stop it entirely,
but ask such an objector does prohibit
ton stop any other crime completely?
And yet we legislate against horse steal
ing, highway robbery and murder, and
still men steal rob and murder OCCASION
ally in defiance of the laws. Suppose we
should repeal all such laws because there
are occasional violations OF their authority?
We will suppose our legislature is asked
next winter (by gang of thieves to pass
4 law giving certain number of men Ii
cense to steal horses in Gloucester county.
and the law shall he carefully guarded.
First the thief shall not be permitted to
steal the only horse, and when he finds
only two horses i'll a stable he shall not
take the best one, but these restrictions
being observed, and the thief succeed in
getting the horse out in the street, he shall
become its lawful owner. Now such a
law being passed is it possible to conceive
of rilm-soaked politician or whisky
guzzler so lost to all sense of decency and
justice as not to be found crying ont
against it as a vile and an Ubiquitous law.
and loud, long wall would go up from
such moral lepers for its repeal. In view
of such a law being passed the locksmith's
business would be wonderfully improved.
The question would be asked. shall our
fine horses be subjected to such danger?
Now ask. are such mems horses so much
more valuable to them than our sons and
daughters are to us, that they must have
prohibitory laws to protect their horses,
and we be denied such laws to protect our
children? | ask decent men to think,
Judge and then vote in keeping with an
enlightened conscience. The horse stolen
may find as good master in his new own
er as he had in his old one, and his future
will not be in the least affected by the law
nor his change of owners. But the license
law lets loose the food gates of tempta-
ton on my sons and yours. 1t succeeds
in fastening the grip of appetite on our
precious children, in benumbing their
eagle intellects, in blighting their every
prospe It tor this life, and then when it has
cut their days short and shuffied them into
a premature grave it plunges them into an
awful and Infamous hell, where they must
spend an endless future in torture too keen
to be described by man or angel. In view
of these fearful possibilities it is true that
the men engaged in robbing and murder
ing are saints when compared to those who
are found legislating for and engaged in
the traffic of intoxicants. The highway
man may murder your noble christian boy,
and to him sudden death is sudden glory
But that fiend in human shape that sells
your son the intoxicating drug first robs
him of his character and manhood and
then tumbles him into a fearful hell Now
| ask honest men to say which class of
vampires is the worst, the highwayman or
the rlimseller. j.