The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-07-28
A LITTLE SOUND SENSE.
An Iowa Temperance Man Gives Exon
fedsrats Brooks Some Facts and Advice.

fedsrate Brooks Some Facts and Advice.
DR.. John A. Brooks:
There appears in some Of your reported
speeches some things that appear to me to be
unfair to those Prohibitionists who DO not look
at this question as you do. You have much to
say of conscience votes and ''men of con-
science" and such phrases in which you assert
that the Prohibit onists who do not agree with
your wiid-soose, third party movement are not
acting according TO their conscientious con-
victions. As you and l are co-worksrs in the
same church and acting together religiously, it
is a queery to me when you became the keeper
of the consclences of your brethren. You do
yourself a gross injustice. as well as Others,
when you assume any such position, for GER
tainly where there are five Prohibitlouists who
will not vote your ticket for every one
that will it comes with poor grace for one to
charge the five with acting hypocritically in
their decision. Now l have, as you well know,
been a prohibltionist all my life, and it is not
saying anything in an e~eotistic sense If | say l
have done as much for the cause of prohibition
as you have. You have been in Missouri for
many years where the Democratic party has
been in a large majority. and you have been q
member OF that party. and what have you done
in that party or with your third party to get
prohibitionl Absolutely nothing. have been
in Iowa and q member Of the Republican party
and worked in that line, and with what rssultl
We have one of the best prohibitory laws in
Iowa that has ever been made. and it Is as we'll
enforced as any other Law. / have followed
no ig1;s fatuus Of third-psrsy impractic-
ability. You have. Now, what is the RESULT
My State is prohibitory, yours is not, and yet.
forsooth, because / cannot conscientiously fol-
low your method that has proved a failure and
abandon my own that has proved o success, / am
to be accounted as lacking in conscience. Did
you ever think. my brother, that it is possible
you are mistaken. and that the beam may be in
your own eyef
Again. We have $50. 900 prohibitionists in
Iowa. OF that number lag. 900 will vote the Re-
publican ticket and 1000 for your third-party
ticket. Allow me TO suggest that it 10 possible
that the 149 may be as wise and honest as the
one. 1t is true, one may be wiser than l49. but
it is not very good taste nor very good morals
for the one to say that he is the only honest
one.
And what is true Of the State of Iowa is true
No country over. And. as / said before. you
cannot possibly hope to poll more than one-hfth
of the actual Prohibition vote for your ticket.
and is it not possible that the four who refuse
TO vote it may not be as wise and conscientious
as the one who doesl When you say they are
not you are violating one of the cardinal priu-
ciplss Of the religion We both profess to Judge
not thy brother"
er things to which l wish TO call your attention.
The only States in which prohibition is main
tanned to-day are Republican States, and yet you
make your fight against the Republican party,
and your leaders say that You have no hope of
electin 6 your ticket but you wish to defeat the
Republican party, so that the Prohibition party
may take its place in 1892. Very we'll look at
the result. You brake down prohibition when
1t is already established, for you ccnceds that
the Democratic party is opposed to the princi-
pie. you make enemies Of all men in the Re-
publican party by your fight against them, and
what IS the RESULT You keep q ftee-whisky
Democratic party In power for q gensrstion at
least.
But you begin to compare yourself to the
Abolition party, but you have studied history
to little advantage II you can see anything in
that. If the Abolition party had continued on
its radical ground what would have been tho
resultl Slavery would have been national to-
day for if Abraham Lincoln lad taken his
stand on . platform of absolute abolition he
would have been defeated and slavery would
have been moro firmly entrenchsd than ever.
So the good sonss of the people said We will
prohibit slavery in the Territories, where We
have jurisdiction, and leave the matter to tn
States. and on this principle they won. So il
Mr.. Harrison had stepped on q radical prohibi-
ton platform a. Chicago he would have been de-
feated aud whisky entrenched for . generation.
But as he Is on the common ground in favor OF
local government on the matter by the States,
while adopting the general principle of tenn
perance In all ways. or rather on auti-saloon
ground, he will be elected. andathe great tenn
perance reform will move on. Why cannot
you DO az wise as the old AbohtioDists who
supported Fremont and Lincoln On q less radi-
cal platform than they deemed exactly right.
You may talk OF conscience aud all that, but
800 10Y
cism IN a Republic like ours. Il troubles my
conscience to think that the only Obstacle in
the way OF ultimate prohibition is the utter I'M
practically OF those who blindly put out q hope
less third-party ticket to stop the progress Of
events to that end. Besides, your party is not
acting on q high moral plan. You confess that
the Democratic party is opposed Z, prohibition.
and that you intend to oppose it alter you have
beaten the Republican party. When, my good
brother. did you adopt the principle, we will do
evil that good may come! You will put the
devil in power that you may fight hi N. Verify,
if that is conscience I am thankful I have none
Of that kind.
will not burden you with the NAVY incon-
sistencies Of your opposition to the X epublican
party. Because the Republican party say that
rather than break down the protective tariff sys-
tenn they would in q contingency rspsa I the tax
on liquors, you abuse them, or rats YER your
spokesman do, and call them the FREQ, whisky
party, when in the very platform on wlEch you
stand there is a declaration ia favor Of the I'M
conditional and immediate repeal Of that tax.
Does your conscience indorse such ~, incon.
sistencys II it does, I am happy to say mine
does not.
Believing, "a / do, that your movements is an
injury and a foe to the cause Of prohibit ton. !
can only hope. and pray, and vote for IL W sue
cess of the Republican party. Wishing yc n sue
cess in all lsudable work for the cause of right
eousness. / subscribe myself very kindl.r and
fraternsl!y your brother, D. r LUC Us.
Drs MONIES, July 81.
Much to Encourage II