The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-07-20
Open Lettar.
10 Rev. G. II. MacI.ean:

10 Hcv. Z. III. MacIean:
REv. AND DEAR SIl,,-I observe by the
local papers that you are being assailed
quite warmly, by various parties, for
Your recent articles on Temperance and
the liquor traffic. While enemies are
thus active, your fricnus should not keen
silence.
According to the best estimate, there
are half II million of persons in this
country either directly Or indirectly
engaged in the manufacture and sale Of
alcoholic: liquors. You, sir, very we'll
know how bitterly and pcrsstently we
are assailcl by Il lot of so-callcd temper
;ncc fanatics. On every hand the pulpit,
the press and the lecture hall teen with
the abuse Of us and our business. AS a
humble representative of this large fra
tcrnity, | pen this open letter to inform
you and the public that We very highly
appreciate your earnest, able and learn
ei efforts in our behalf. wish all to
understand that every brewer, every
manufacturer or distiller, every ven,,er.
every moderate ,rinkcr, and even every
old topper cordially endorses every word
You have written. And while writing
permit me. Rev. sir, to specify two or
three points which we particularly ap.
prove, and which, afford us peculiar de.
light.
LIST. Your learned exposition of the
scripture. am free to confess that we
have been accustomed to scoff and snecr
at the bible, because we supposed its
spirit and teachings condemned our bust
ness. We were aware that it denounced
"woc to him who giveth his ncigl,l,or in.
toxicatng drink, that p,ttctl, thy bottle
to him, and we have had the conviction
that it applied to us. But since you have
shown so conclusivily. that almost the
last act of Jesus Of Nazareth, before his
cruciiixion, was to bless the Intoxicating
cup, put it to the lips of his disciples,
command them to drink it, yea to drink
all of it," our views Of the bible have
been materially modified; indeed, /
think We shall from this time forth con-
slider it, The main bulwark Of our bust
ness, our rock Of defence. We have COIL
cludcd that the passage in the prophet
about the "woe" was slyly inserted by
some old prohibition dog" or what is
more probable by some brawins woman
Of the W. &. T. U.
md. 1t is the '';,blsc and not the use
Of Intoxicating liquors which the scrip:
urccondemm." This position is particu-
larly interesting TO us because we have
to secure about $1,000 recruits to fill up
the depleted ranks of the army Of drunk
ards, That number will doubtless fall
by death, and lie in drunkarls' graves
during A. ID. 1888. Their places must be
filled. The recruits must come from that
host of those who "usc" it, or who drink
moderately, for thee is no hope Of
single recruit from the ranks Of total alb
stinence. Now if you will continue to
persuade the young to use intoxicating
liquors moderately. you will very mater.
tally aid us, and think VIC can SUCCESS.
fully manage the rest Of the job.
"rd, Another of your arguments is
prohibition does not prohibit" there
fore, prohibition is wrong. No sane
man will deny the fact stated, however,
much he may doubt the logic of the con-
clusion. Intoxicating liquors are sold in
Maine, Iowa and Kansas While mcdi-
tating upon this argument Of yours, my
thought has gone back though the cell
tulics to the time when amid the thun-
dcrs ofSinai the finger Of God wrote
"Thou shalt not stcal.' Now this, it seems
to me is a rrohibitorv law, and yet it
does not prohibit. Men and women al
ways have stolen, and probably always
will. And have thought, my dear Sir,
what a pity you were not there witll
your mastery logic TO have instructed
infinite wisdom; to lave told him that
prohibition would not prohibit, and was
therefore wrong. Better regulate it and
license few respectable persons in each
municipality and make it source of rev.
cnuc, tightening the burden of taxation.
Last, but not least. Solomon had wine
cellars, which shows that Intoxicating
Liquors were an article of commerce,
and therefore the commerce in them
now is scriptuml. know the scriptures
say he had seven hundred wives, which
shows that brigham Young was but
mere novice in the business, aald that
polysamy is scriptural, Ill of which in
crcascs our vencration for tho scrip
lures and our respect and admiration for
yourself. am yours truly,
ONE INTERESTED.