Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-18
A Response 10 "Trufh."
the Editor of the Dispatch

The Dispatch of last Sunday contains
an article signed " TRUTH" which as
sails over my shoulders Legitimate
trade built up and conducted under the
laws of the State, insultingly comparing
the members of the trade to "cut-
threats, highwaymen, and pick pock-
ets." If Truth " is preacher he is
bringing into obloquy an honored pro.
fession; if he is a layman, he isl
won't say what.
1t has been we'll said that she who
will not reason is bigot he who
cannot is fool, and he who dares not
is a slave" | am neither bigot,
fool, nor slave, and do not propose to
be coerced in my opinions or deferred
from free expression Of them neither
do | intend to allow any impertinent
fellow in an ostensible reply to me to
villify my I" liquor-selling friends"
Yes, sir; | have I" liquor-selling
friends ''-some Of them have known
from their boyhood-and through their
lives they have borne pure and spotless
lives, and associated their names hun.
dreds of times with the benefcence and
enterprise Of this city.
Believing myself to be right, and be-
lievipg that all prohibitory laws are un-
Just and immoral, shall endeavor to
prove that my opinions are correct. |
have no interest in the liquor-traflic,
and am only considering it as question
of public policy; and in doing this
shall treat all who honor Inc with their
notice with the same courtesy that is
extended to me. If their words are
"soft," so will be mine il their words
ale "hard," there shall be no occasion
Of complaint that do not return as
good as sent.
This local-option movement is simply
q political movement, and will find its
counterpart in the memorable days Of
Freesoilism. when the Church and the
Sunday school were prostituted to the
schemes of the Greeleys and the Har-
riet Beecher Stoves OF the North-only
now it comes in the form of prohibition
as taught by the Colquitts Of the South.
The dissertation of the Sabbath and the
degradation of our pulpits may be fol-
lowed by the same result which fol-
lowed the campaign Of 1856, which in
1860 eliminated in the defeat Of both
the Democratic and Wing parties Of that
day. The churches are now lending
their aid to the building-up Of a new
political party, which was led by st.
John in 1884, and before which in 1888
may 60 down both the Republican and
Democratic parties, and the control of
the Government will pass from states
men into the custody Of inscriptions
political demogogues, who rise to power
by beguiling the passions and prejudices
of the people.
have not written line in favor of
the liquor.traffic. My inquiries into the
question have convinced me that the
traffic in liquors in some form or other
is inevitable. This being so, | favor
the license system, which places the
traffic under the control and superin-
tendence Of law, rather than transfer it
to the hands Of INSCRIPTIONS persons
who will sell on the sly, and without
regard to its effects on the persons or
morals Of the people. If the very
stringent law we now have is not exc
cuted in its safeguards and restrictions
it is not the fault of the law. The cor
receive is in the selection of officers who
will discharge their duties to the public,
and not in sumptuary and Puritanic le-
gislation.
This article has not been written
with reference specially to the liquor
traffic, but am one of those unfortu-
nate persons who are constantly de-
nounced as rum-suckers in the
church; and claim the poor privilege
of testifyiDg my respect for the church
by endeavoring to stop the incorporate
appeals to passion aud prejudice, ap-
peals which are incendiary in their
character and detrimental to the peace
and good order of society. am pro-
foundly convinced that the spirit OK.
hibited by the leaders and exemplars Of
local option in assailing without mercy
or discrimination every man engaged in
legal avocation, in wounding in their
tenderest affections the wives and chill
dren of these men, in provoking the
sympathies Of their numerous connec.
tions and friends, has arrsysd nearly
one half our people in bitter hostility
to the cause Of religion, and has done
more harm to that cause than al Ii.
bar-rooms in the city would do in .
generation. XXX.
II is claimed that the relative blue
ness Of ssa-wstsr IL IN index Of liz