Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-05-15

agencies Of society are against 1t anu
that when whenever and wherever any
of them advocate its cause the work IS
accompanied by a concession OF the evil
and the hypocritical or ignorant pretense
that it can best be suppressed by some
policy which increases the evils.
Speaking of the methods by which the
traffic is to be combatted, he said that
moral suasion and legislation must go
hund in hand.
With regard to license laws as So
called Temperance Agency, he said:
These license laws, or Excise laws,
although for while they may restrain,
are of no ultimate help to the Temper
ance reform. They are, in fact, one of
the chief defenses Of the traffic, and
whether high or low, are Of the most
pernicious and final tendency. They
bribe the public conscience, they be-
wilder the public intelligence, and they
never are long enforced in those pro-
visions which are sometimes honestly,
but more generally with bad design, at
tached for the apparent purpose OF re-
striction. The license soon violates all
these restrictions, and then IS as liable
to prosecution at the instigation OF the
common seller without any license atall
as Is the latter at the suit of the license
himself One yiolator Of law will not
prosecute another violator Of the law.
= : The license law is no law at all IN
its practical effect, save only as it does
the general Golfers fills with the price
Of blood. So far as it promotes the gil
ded saloon by closing the low groggerles,
| have only to say the latter is far more
respectable and not a lesser curse IN the
community than the former. Ten grog-
geries will not work the ruin wrought
BY single palace of strong drink. : :
The license law, high or low, is no de-
vice Of the temperance reform nor OF
the temperance agitation. It was not
developed BY it. The moral sentiment
Of the community had nothing to do
with its origin, nor unless under a
grievous misapprehension. with pres
ent support. : < < 4 license law seems
to me to be radically wrong in principle
pernicious in practice and, SO far as !
know, no such law has ever imposed any
real or permanent restraint upon the
gigantic evil which civilization is now
called upon to contend.
The Senator, speaking Of prohibitory
laws, said that, despite the many obsta-
cles they have to overcome under exis-
ting circumstances, they are miracles
Of good. ! With regard to the present
situation, he said that everywhere the
question is up, and thatit is impossible
10 uppress these convulsiye efforts OF
the social system to free itself from this
foreign and destructive element. A
national Constitutional prohibitory
Amendment he deemed to be inpera-
tive, and though the conditions Of its
adoption appeared to be difficult, he
thought that it is easy to secure the SEN
timent in the several States necessary t.
carrying it through. The Amendment
must be carried in each House of Con
gress by two-third vote, and then be
ratified BY three-fourths of the States
the President has nothing to do with
its submission. 'All the energy of the
reform throughout the nation, said he
could be concentrated upon the State:
one after another, and ! sincerely be
lieye that once before the people we car
complete the work in 5year time. Ht
pointed out that no man and no party il
asked by the Temperance people to give
pledge to advocate the adoption oftht
Amendment before the country, bul
that all which is desired is that the
question may be brought before tht
people. "This is the temperance issu,
now arising in the whole land, and un
til this is decided no party, man, o.
faction can project one Of comparative
~ serious Importance into national poll
tics He claimed that there is tenn
perance sentiment enough in this coun
try to choose a two-thirds vote favorins
submission in the very next House o
Representatives, if only that sentimen
would go into the Conventions of one o.
both of the great political parties anc
act with power. In that case th,
Amendment might reach the people b!
1888 or 1890. But he thought that i
the issue was dependent upon the ere
alton of third party and its triumph
many years must elapse.
He adverted to the action Of the las
Republican national Convention in re
jecting plank pledging the party t
submit the Amendment The planI