New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-21

| THE LIQUOR DEALERS IN CONTENTION.
| The iouOr-dealers in convention at Chicago
| have appointed committee to arrange for
mutual defence and have adopted resolutions
of a somewhat odd character. They declare
that they @most earnestly favor temperance
| and most strongly condemn intemperance
| declaration not exactly in accord with the main
| purpose of the con vention, which is to devise
means to prevent any restriction upon the sale
of liauor in the United States. The liquor
dealers further state that they are q in favor of
both public and private morality" which under
the circumstances lie II paradoxical statement.
AS a matter of course they unaterably OPP
pose prohibition as an invasion of the rights of
citizens, and therefore wrong in principle and
impractcable In policy" They hold that in
stead of attempting to destroy the liquor traffic,
the friends of temperance should direct their
efforts to d eliminating the evils existing and
resulting from the abuse of liquor" Finally
they profess a determination not to enter poll
tics organization save and except for the
protection of their business and against such
legislation as seeks to destroy our trade and not
to remedy evils therein existing"
These resolutions serve to show how little the
liauor-dealers understand their own position.
AS to their right to assemble in defence of their
trade there can be no question. That trade has
been recognized by the great majority of Ameri-
can people as lawful. 1t is supported by the
people who recognize its legitimacy. Capital
has been inv ested in the traffic on the strength
of its legality. Vested rights have grown up
under the national permission. All these con-
siderations reinforce the liquor mems right to
take such defensive steps as they are now TAX
ing. But at this point lire must be
drawn. The legality of the liquor traffic
is one thing Its morality is quite another
thing When these dealers get up and declare
that they favor temperance and condemn in
temperance they are talking nonsense and
palpable, egregous nonsense at that. So they
are where they declare themselves in favor of
public and private morality" The liquor
traffic and public and private morals are mutu-
My incompatible and repellant. No liquor
dealer can be in favor of temperance If a
baker were TO declare that he desired his GUS
toners 10 consume loss bread we should Know |
what to think of his candor. When liquor
dealer says he would like to sell less liquor
we know what to think of his sincerity
Liquor selling is, in all but five States of the
Union, as lawful as any other business. But it
Is UOl ntNtl COhiu DC dS HubCtHb vi 10
moral. 1t is not even a neutral kind of bust
ness 1t is actively demoralizing and mischey-
Gus to public and private morals. Now, while
the liquor-deaers are entirely justified I'm the
" wet y States at least in organizing for their
own protection, they can never be justified in
for their business the public consid-
grafton which attaches to occupations that are
beneficent in their character. Dram drinking is
an evil when carried TO excess, and IL is never
good even when most moderately INDUCED. AT
he best it is superfluity, and at the worst i:
S curse. Nobody expects moral sentiments
rom iquor-dealers. Sucn ser timcnts are
altogether out of place in their mouths. They
Ire entitled to justice. The public that uphods
he saloon cannot shuttle out of IFS responsible
ty by pretending that the saloon keepers and
he brewers and distillers are malignant
yretches who have cOnspired to corrupt every
Dody The nation is accountable for the drink
vii, assuredly, bat for all that the liquor-deal
,rs are the last people on earth who ought to
neddle with ethical questions, and this because
he. very fact of their being lquor-dealers
,roves them to be Indifferent to all con-
alterations of the kind. If they could real
&c the absurdity of their attitude when
hey ayOw themselves the friends of temper
nee and morality they would drop such opera
,ouffe business and confne themselves TO plac-
ical propositions.