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

out OF it all there is in it. If it meets the wants
of the people it will be fnality. but il not not
Nothing is more common than to hear certain
grade Of temperance(a men declaiming that
snous the M Ss j. s nas believe Is wo1d
of this, hence we want to disprove it
by showing that, enforced to the letter. there is
nothing in it to satisfy any sincere temperance
man or woman You were very unfortunate IN
your reference to the enforcement or the fugl-
tive slave law. / was old enough to know some
thing about that law and its workings. The
Abolitionists denounced 1T as unjust unwlse
ana unchristian," and they did not feel called
upon to make special contributions to secure ITS
enforcement, but beyond 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 charac-
ter. No temperance man feels called upon to
make any special contribution for the enforce
ment of the present liquor law, but they want it
enforced to show what it is, no less than to edu-
cate the people to respect law, so that In that
good time coming, when prohibition shall De
embodied in law, whole State will stand shout
der to shoulder and see it enforced. Ii enforcing
it reveals its weakness or wickedness, 1t will be
repealed.
Secondly as to our views of any and all license
laws we have this to say in our behalf We call
them unjust, unwise and unchristian" They are
unjust because they impose unreasonable burdens
upon the business. If the traffic is right everybody
mas r1gnL TO engage ana 1t is UNJUST 10 al
low rich man who Is able to pay Sl,00O Tor a
monopoly to crowd out his poor neighbor. 1t
never has been shown, though often claimed,
that by reducing the number Of saloons you re-
duce the amount of liquor drunk You simply
make the monopoly greater The fifty that re-
main sell as much as the hundred did, or so near
1T that no pereeptible difference In the number
of drunkards has ever been discovered 1t Is
claimed that you will dry up 1.-The the
IF ia %ipiu Rv saloons
we have prepared many youth of good family
and good associations for these low dives" he
has neither the money nor the responsibility any
more to shine where oncehe shone and he must
resort to 'low dives" die. 1t is unjust to have
created an appetite that is ineradcable and now
compel him to suffer for want of its qualification.
Many man in our city, once at the very front
| In his calIng-several once eminent lawyers;
more than one once eminent DOCTOR, and some
who were once prominent business men, and
scores who are the sons CT religious parents, are
now the habitues of these dives 1t is un just to
| have reduced these TO this level, and now
| to confne our protection to the supplying OF
their places out of the present young men Of our
| country
1t is unwise. The W. C. r. u. were speaking
| only of the measure from temperance stand
point 1t is unwise to throw around a business
/ which Is fraugiit with nothing but evil any OF
| the protection of law The moro respectable it
| is made, the greater the danger. We We're rot
counting the revenue which the licensed traffic
| brings. We leave that for the men to do. Any
| man who can complacently put into his Golfers
money derived from the tears and groans Of
| wives and mothers and children, may advocate
high license. but the w. c. 4. U. will not. Too
many of them have drained the cup of
sorrow to its very dregs to favor
any system that protects the traffic in any form
| whatever. We want it prohibited. If men will
murder our loved ones, they shall not divide the
profits with us, for the sake of our sanction. 1t
| brings a revenue, but it is the price of blood.
| mt ha told hat na fraffir hp
prohibited. 1t is prohibited in thousand places
! and can be here There are men mean and sor
/ did enough to seek revenue from the ruin of
their own daughters because no human or di-
/ vine law has yet been enacted that wholly pre-
vents the crime of prostitution. Is it any won
| der, therefore that sordid men seek a revenue
| from the destruction of their sonsg No rirtuous
mother favors the licensing of brothels or sa-
| looms. 1t is unwse they think.
| AS to the Christianity which fosters saloons.
or justi6es the taking of silver as the price Of
| blood, need not make a defense. We have not
so learned Christ. Our Christianity teaches us to
make no merchandise of the souls and bodies of
men. AS to the sheer that we are in collision
with the Sim Coy element of our city we let
| that pass There may be readers of the Journal
that enjoy such fling. but it shall not deter US
| from laboring TO educate this people to believe
! that the right thing to do with vice is to forbid
| it. not to license it for gain. We have not
word Of condemnation, but many words Of APP
! probation of the effort of the Journal to obtain
from the saloons of this city every dollar that
| the law allows, but we beg that this be not
! counted temperance movement 1t is simply
question Of taxation That is right enough.
| With many thanks fer many favors toward
the W. C. I. q. in the past, and hoped for in
| the future, | beg to assure the editor that we
| shall not be moved from our steadfastness be-
| cause he may not approve our course and choose
to class us with ''Sim" Coy and Sam" Dinnin.
+ INDIANAPOLIS, April 27 s.
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