Morning journal and courier., 1886-05-05
PROHIBITIONISTS TALK.

The club Alert An Address From
 Rev. Dr. Sutherland of Rochester
 He Objects to the High License Sys-
 tenn.
 Rev. Dr. Sutherland, of Rochester, N. Y., at the Prohibition club meeting Monday night said among other remarks: All ac- knowledge that something must be done to restrain the liquor traffic. There are several ways proposed of dealing with the question. The persuasive method is urged and has done good. There is also the legislative method, and this method may be divided into license and prohibition. High license is a favorite cry in some quarters just now. The speaker objected to high license, first, because license is the cause of misery and degradation and woe everywhere. Second, because the larger the fee the more the temptation to overlook delinquencies and breaches of the law on the part of those who are willing to pay so much into the treasury. Third, because high license does not dimln- ish the danger to our institutions from the liquornower. In Rochester both the old parties are owned and controlled by the sa- loon. He stated facts to prove this.
 We have to fight the effects of the saloon system upon our political institutions. Do we want to intrench this system in the strength of capital and intelligence and thus make it more difficult to fight? This is what high license would tend to do.
 Neither party in New York has for some years elected out-and-out temperance man to office.
 The speaker objected to the high license system because it debauches the public con- science. If the statutes put their approval upon the liquor traffic and endeavor to make it respectable the average public conscience will look upon the traffic with complacency If the revenue is made dependent upon the liquor traffic the public will come to lean upon the system as public necessity.
 The speaker used to think the temperance question could best be handled in the old parties. The saloon keepers do not start a new party, why should the temperance mem? We work in the light; they work in secrecy and in darkness. We want prohibition to come an irresistible movement, With a party behind it which will he.
 Secretary Bliss gave some figures showing, he argued, a remarkable increase in arrests for crime in New Haven and throughout the State of Connecticut when the license law went into effect here, and the remarkable way in which this difference between arrests under prohibition and under license i'll this section of the country grew.
 MT. AJ. Hart said he believed prohibition in Rhode Island will be 8 success. The liquor dealers are combining throughout the country, and are raising money and using it to defeat prohibition. But prohibition is growing. It is not safe to oppose bad man in some of the caucuses even of New Haven. We wish to have different order of things, and what influence the speaker had should be given for the new party.
 MT. c. E. Dewey pitched into the news papers for asserting that the United States courts had decided that the State must pay the damages incurred by all brewers and dis tillers injured by such action as that in Rhode Island. The United States courts have not decided any such thing, and if they had done so, Rhode Island could bet ter afford to pay all damages incurred in closing those places than the damages which would be caused by their continued existence.
 President Rogers liked the sentiments of Brother Sutherland. He wanted it distinctly understood that the Prohibition party had come to stay, and that it intended to stay and do its work. People call us fanatics. He was thankful we had an idea, and that we meant to keep it before the people. Our ranks are being multiplied, and there is good news from all over the land.