The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-02
MURPHY AND HIS CRITICS
His Work in the Temperance Cause
Termeda Failure by Religious Editor.
But the Eloquent Evangelist Says that Legis-
lation Never Saved Drunkard-He Is
Not ofthe Scribes and Pharisees.

Last evening Journal reporter showed
Francis Murphy copy of the Western
Christian Advocate, of July 81, pointing
out to him an editorial headed, Strange
Words from Eloquent Lips" in which the
editor, Rev. j. H. Bayllss. d. D., attacks
Mr.. Murphy for his structures upon Prohi-
bitionists. After calling the gospel tenn.
perance evangelist to account for some OF
hisutterances against prohibitory methods,
the article continues: 1.-The fact is, not
that prohibition is failure. but that MI.
Murphy's work is almost such. We might
use strong language on this point, but we
refrain from 1t. AS a matter OF 1act' ntI.
Murphy, with all his power. and his gl1ts
we have already characterized, has MADE
no more impression upon the awful
flood of intemperance than
child would make on the ONO
and pouring it on the sand at the rivers
side. A part of the water thus dipped out
would float away by evaporation, and en-
ter the river no more; much OF 1T would go
back again into the stream. Such is MT.
Murphy's work; intense. persistent, wearl-
| some, discouraging. By it a few are saved,
for which let us thank God: but 1t takes q
sanguine nature to do Mr.. Murphy's work
| and not despair. Prohibition in Kansas
has done more to drive out intemperance
than a thousand Murphys could do in a
period ten times as long as the history of
! prohibition in Kansas. He spoke brave
words in Cincinnati awhile ago. but what
| single saloon closed on account OF IL!
| While Mr. Murphy made his most fiery ap-
peals, the awful ScOurge of death swept on.
| On-keepers, some of them, approved his
method, because it ignored the only weapon
| which they fear"
| The temperance evangelist read the arti-
| Gle and said: Il continue to believe that
the plan of absolute prohibition by legisla-
| tive enactment Is wrong III principle. 1t Is
| the house built upon the sand and when
| the rain and storm of temptation come
| upon men prohibition Is impOtent to de-
| liver them from the power of the enemy.
believe it the gospel of towards and OF the
| unmanly that declares the inability of man
to control himself and resist temptation.
| There are q great many people who are
| thoroughly sincere and honest in their adj
| vocacy of the prohibition of the liquor
| traffic by legislative enactment. They be-
lieve that if they could get law passed
! prohibiting the manufacture and sale of IN
| toxicating liquor. there would be no
| more liquor manufactured, and no more
| sold. That sort of thing has been put in
! the balance, weighed and found wanting,
| for there are few States III the Union that
| have not ut some period tried prohibition
| remedy for this evil. Men who are sim
| cerely DESTROYS of removing the evils at
tending the manufacture and sale of liquor
| declare that prohibition has aggravated
| these evils instead of removing them, and
| that legislative enactments of this charac-
ter, like Moses. always die within sight of
| the promised land.
| Il do not wish To be considered as calling
! the people who believe in the MOsalcal
treatment frauds and hypocrites in any
sense. but the laws that have been enacted
| III the hope of removing this evil are
| acknowledged. by those most competent to
| Judge. to have been utter failures. They
have been forced upon the people. and they
| have failed, even under what seemed the
III. tl.Apa
| i believe such laws are entitled To he called
| frauds. Senator ingalls, says of his own
| prohibition State OF Kansas: Sales for the
| specified purposes are confined to druggists.
| who are he,lgcd abont with the stringent
| provisions of the pharmacy act the pen
| altes for the violation of which are ingen-
iously rigid. and have not been exceeded
! for severity since the code of Draco. Physi-
| clans prescriptions Il ilidavits and signatures
| for the Identification OF the purchaser aud
| eciiicd.iOn OF the disease for which he
! needs the pernicious fluid are required. and
| eyasions are punished with fine. forfeiture
| and imprisonment. The sale of bittcrs,
! elixirs and other connections containing
| alcohol has undoubtedly increased. Ma
laria, Indigestion and other disorders have
developed i'll localities previously cOnsid-
. cred salubriOus. and there is probably no
town of 1000 inhabitants where bibulous
| but discreet inquirer, 1t properly vOuched
| for, cannot find at his hotel OF the clHb, or
in the cellar of a friend, a bottle of beer or
| n flask of whisky.
| "Senat tor ingalls, also gives some testimony
that bears OH the other side. but this Is
sufficient 10 sustain my position on the
| question, and commend To Dr. Bayliss this
| statement of the distinguished Senator. 1t
| Is evident that n great many people in the
State OF Kansas drink liquor, nOtwithstand-
| ing the prOhi bitOry enactment. There GER
| tainly is more PharisaIsm in a community
| given what it asked. to 20 OH drinking and
procuring drink i'll this covert. sneaking
and unlawful way than to 60 in openly and
| ut the front door.
There is no soul in legislative enact
| ment to save men. Legislative enactments
| regarding the infirmites of orr common
humanity have been instrumental in de-
| grading men and in binding their dead sins
to their own living bodies. Men have had
to drag them around during their existence.
and when they bad satisfied the law and
all it's demands and had come out of
bondage again they coufl not leave
their sins behind them. Society
refused 10 receive them or to repose any
trust or confidence in them. The only
sovereign remedy for SIM and the drinking
OF liquor is a sin. one of the most stubborn
known to civilization, and upon which
every invention of legislation has been
tried and failed-the only sovereign rem
edy is the gospel OF the Lord Jesus Christ,
who came to save us from our sins. He
came to seek and to save that which is lost.
| He .Ound the man who had his dwelling in
the tombs who had utterly exhausted the
patience of the authorities i'll the city until
they had driven him out. They utterly failed
to s;.ve him. but Jesus Christ saved him.
He was never found in the police court
after that. and the same is true of the I'M
fortunate woman who was dragged before
Christ By eight or ten lusty scribes and
Pharisees. She would have been stoned to
death under the Mosaic law. But Jesus
Christ with the new law of love- mercy
and forgiveness, saved her. and every
sinner under the stars who is to be saved
will be saved by the same blessed means of
gospel teaching"