New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-15
"EXCLUSIVE PROHIBITTON."
BiGoTRY IN THE Way OF REFORM

SIN: Edttor OF The Tribune.
delivers \ cbS2ph Cook in bis last Monday lecture
eulogy on the late Joh6 and therefore energetic
he quotes with loud and long c 6f, In this euIosy
Mr.. Cough as having under very DRAMATIC ~,
stances stated" God helping me an determined to
! the end of my lite to refuse my consent 10 the
licensing either of the brothel o. of the glded
saloon" presume there can be no doubt that Mr.
Cough dld say something Of the kind. The heroic
cast of the sentence is however Mr. Cooks. The
two points wish to indicate here are first this is
cheap talk. second, it is in fact not true do OF
for moment question the sincerity or the truth of
either Mr. Cook or Mr.. Cough. do question the
necessity of being either leToc about it, or of it's
practical accuracy. Take the first point, viz: " 1t
is cheap talk = The exclusive problbitonist can do
nothing but talk Nor does his talk involve any
herosm any sel(denlak If it be rounded OIL with
such sentences " God helping me- 30 long as
| live" it may be followed by the sweet incense of
aloud and long continued applause 1t is easily
conceivable that he may with no cost whatever Of
anything but heroic syllables imagine himself TO
represent the flower and lruitage OF the noblest
sclf-sacrifice. He may feel that all men who are
not exclusive prohIbItionlsts in league with the
guided saloon and the unspeakable brothe But
alas! he can do nothing. Since he will have moth
ing but prohibition, ana facts show that he cannot
have prohibition, he must have nothing lie must
be content to let other share the practical work
of overcoming the evils of things as they are. lie
may be a talker. He cannot be worker But as
his talk costs him nothing, or rather as it brings
down the house when accompanied by clap-trap
herOics, it is alas cheap talk. lie may
be sincere to the uttermost lie generally is.
His sincerity demands regard. 1t gets It, But
he is not a martyr. lie is not in any way a reformer
of the evil that lie is debarred from entering
the where the evil is. His conscience is in it,
His heart is IN IT, He wants TO fight and fight
bravely. But he can only stand Off, and, out of all
danger, talk at IT, Very well. There is the tiger
down there in the slums, for that matter up here
in Fifth-aye 1t is killing and manning its victims.
Gentlemen, il will not do to pose as lovers of your
fellow-nen and not attempt to lay hands on thai
tiger. But there are some men who knowing tLey
cannot kill It doing the best with the tiger they
can trying to clip its claws to it, TO cripple it.
to tame it, trying to get children and the infirm
cut of its way. Ii is the best that can be done az
things are. Pray do not hold up your hands in holy
horror at these real fighters aSsociating with
tigers. Or if you must do this to keep your own
sense of self-superorty alive, pray do not call upon
the world to admire either your judgment or your
bravery. Exclusive prohibition is cheap talk. Pro-
hbitlon is not, for man may believe in prohibition
as an ultimate end and work for it, while he may
seek by law to mitigate the evils OF the liquor traffic
which he has sense enough TO know cannot be de
stroyed by prohibition which is either purely
political or barely in the majority. Exclusive pro-
hibitiOn paThyZes the practical work for reform.
Nay more, 1t rctards the day when can secure
efficient prohibition, for by It's cheap attitude of
cuslJe holiness 1t alIenates It's natural symDa hzers
and by its narrow gTained methods cODfOunds the
ctiots of practical workers toward the downfall of
the liquor traffic.
And now as 10 the second point, viz. the state
tp nv men pV re lot. cd
to refuse consent to licensing saloons F" gilded
not gided equally presumed is in fact not true
statement. ! presume by this claim that they mean
they refuse 70 legallLe the liquor saloon. Cheap
talk again They tail TO understand that legalze
in this sense means to limit. Translated into this
sense. " lat they say Is true They are determined
to refuse consent 10 limiting the liquor business.
But this is licensing IT. This Is giving the liquor
business free license to sell without restraint and
without limit In fact then they do not refuse to
give their consent etc. If you will have the saloon
say they then will we let 1t be without restriction
of any kind Let there be no taxes paid by It, let It
flourish Sundays as well week days, let it sell
to minors and children" Tie men who, from prln-
cpe. say We refuse TO consent to legally limit the
LIQUOR business say in fact " We consent to the
licensing OF an unlimited liquor traffic" Is this not
trucf
subject of the high-lcense bill now before rhe tx
else Committee of the Assembly. Who appeared
against the bill The liquor dealers naturally. and,
naturally again, the eXcHs,Ve PrihI5ltonlis,sS.
defeated il will be by the exclusive prOhibtiOnst
and the liquor dealer. Who gets the whole and
only beneitY The liquor dealer WHIP helps him
to his prosperity The exclusive prohbtionlst.
He allies himself with the liquor dealer TO the
liquor dealers benefit. Does he for moment
suppose that that alliance is to help gain an end
which is against the liquor dealers and Tor his pur-
poseT 1t is true. perhaps, that the exclusive
prohbtionst of the Cook type holds the balance of
power but it is strange that he is always forced
WELD il for the liquor dealers good. And if he could
have a bit more power he would undoubtedly vote
with the LIQUOR dealer and refuse 10 place any re-
strictions upon the liquor business whatever. In
spite of himself and not witt Divine but, if may
say So with the liquor dealers help lie refuses TO
give his consent to cssenlng or limiting the glded
saloon"
But why The other day freud Of mine was
walking along of our village streets in company
with an exclusive prohibitiOnst. They passed "A
newly opened gIlded saloon My friend lamented
the evil il might DO. NO he was answered. the
more there are, the worse harm they do the sooner
will come our day totally false assumption, by
the way but what did il meant What does
this refusing to consent, but in fact giving con-
sent to license saloons mean Why this: Let
us do evil that good may come" Those who III
effect take thi, ground must face st. Pauls remark
upon such proceeding w. NJ HUGHES.
Geacrd, March ., lSot.