New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-24
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
THE WAY TO SUPPRESS DRUNKENNESS.
WHY NOT MAKE II STATUTORY CRIME
MINNEsorA's EXAMPLE.
IN the Editor Of The Tribune


MINNEsorA's EXAMPLE.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: This country has Just emerged from terrible
conflict with slavery when now b confronted In us
political arena with another great moral evil IN inc
form of drunkenness. Ii Numbered grievously in uo
former case; party proposing RESTRICTIONS anu o"
less COMPROMISES; another seeking the overthrow Oh
the Constitution. which was perfectly nnocent' "Nu
another uphoding the outrage and all Its abomHson
with merciess fury and unrelenting zeal. fihanS ~
had TO be wiped out at cost Of incacuable treasure
and life. In like In this instance the country
has begun to blunder; one party recommending d
heavy tax on the liquor traffic In the shape OF mgh
license: another insisting upon total pronpiuo
Of the traffic. although when properly conducted IL Is
entirely legitimate; and another bitterly opposeo "
all the measures which have neen suggested In ia'or
of temperance reform, while carefully aestanlng no"i
making any proposition Of It's own
A OF popular condemnation, Ike the Wa'oi'
which have recently devss taed the Conemaugh 'aey'
has swept tho of Prohibition and left IL lo
| the time being chastity wreck. The system Vi
high license Is an anomaly. II imposes discrimnaF
ing tax in favor of tho rich creates privileged class
takes away from thousands OF poor men their means Oh
livelihood without any proof Of offence and Is thus
utterly antagonistc TO the genius Of American instF
lions and to the spirit of Republicanism.
Suppose for the sake OF argument, 1t should. ac-
compsh all that Is anticipated. 1t could only be. al
best, a partial 1t could not strike tho axe
at the root OF the tree but only lop OFF few oil .
branches on one side. while the other they wouli
be permitted TO grow In unrcs trained luxuriance IN
our anxiety then for the poor. have forgotten tho
rch7 Have We sympathy for theml or is there
no danger or temptation to them In the prllhah'
saloons which our laws would furnish theml Drunken
ness alas pervades all classes. The land Is Mica
with IT'S orgies its pauperism and its crime Every
| morning and every evening the sickening ana de-
moraizing tale OF its horrors is repeated.
Has II ever occurred to that it IS crime' Is u
| not obvious that 1t is germinal crimel Ought we
not then to treat it Ike other crimesl We punish
theft burglary and murder. But here IS tho source
| of innumcrable thefts burglaries and murders by
| the legislation OF Moses It regarded as crime
and in some punished with death'
And while Christianity. in the beginning,
| did not interfere with the laws and policies Oh
civil governments, It included drunkenness among
| those deadly offences which were totally incom-
| patible with membership in the church. and which
| constituted an impossible barrier TO the Kingdom
of Heaven 1t has long seemed strange to mo that
| We do not associate It with other felonies In our
| penal code and in1ct upon II a severe and an
| ignoninious penalty. am persuaded that by uis
course and by this course alone. should speedily
| Danish it from respectable society 10 the haunts
of debauchery and crime. Theft and forgery for the
most part are abuses Of money drunkenness Is an
| would be the result II should repeal the laws which
! brand thcm as felonies and seek restrain them
| only by moral suasion1 How long would 1t be
| before commerce would collapse, and there would
| be a universal paralysis Of trade? II. on the other
| hand under the guidance Of reason and common
| sense We should provide the traffic in liquor with
| similar safeguards To those with which we provide
the traffic in money. the former. Like the latter
| might confidently be left TO take Of ITSELF
| Tho subject of temperance would thon be RENTED
TO the church and the pulpit; there would be no
! further discussion Of high license or prohibition
and the most disturbing element of the times would
| be eliminated from politics forever
| Tie vast body Of citizens who are engaged In the
| liquor traffic, either as manufacturers or Dealers
especially and primarily interested in the sup
| preston of drunkenness; for while they derive
therefrom little pecunlary advantage, 1t Is To
| them the cause Of innmnerable annoyances and
| Sorrows 1t has awakened and maintains at this
hour The temperance agitation; has put their business
under q ban of disgrace II II were condemned by
the Almighty; subjects them continually to I'M
merited vttuperation and reproach: and taxes them
annually 10 the extent of millions Of dollars to resist
and prevent injurious legislation. They will be the
natural leaders in this reform And when the time
shall come that proposition shall be offered for
amendment TO the National Constitution. not for the
/ prohibition Of the rational and legitimate Of the
| gifts Of a benefcent Providence, but for making
their blasphemous prostitution and pervcrsion into
| Instruments Of brutal Indulgence. and sources Of
maniacal Outbursts OF passion and sin, a neinous
! crime, there will be from end Of the country
to the other unanimous agreement. and 10 Will be
carried by universal acclaim.
The Hon. Albert Scheiier, Senator of the Legisla-
ture Of Minnesota succeeded last winter In securing
the adoption of a bill making drunkenness a crime
| and providing that on tho third and all subsequent
| offences it shall be punished by Imprisonment. Yes
ter1ay received from the Senator a letter lncOsing
| newspaper clippings which showed general salts
| faction in Minnesota with the law, and general
forcemcnt OF #. Here az last In a Western state,
without agitation flourish Of trumpets. a inca ure
OF overwhelming importance has been introduced and
II It shall be faithfully and impartiay carried It
VIII undoubtedly ere long. be adopted by every State
| in this Union. and by every country throughout the
| civilized world. HENRY A. HARrT M d.
Ncw-YOrk, July 49, 1889.