Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-06
HE CALLS 1T A SNAKE
Rev. B, F. Beazell. of Oakland,
breaches on Shiras' Sensation
TREATING 1T ASA SNAKES STING.
Bow He'd Have Made the Brooks Law
OdiOus, Had he Been Judge.
KANSAS MAN ON THE COST OF DRINK

Rev. B. F. Beazell, of the Oakland
Methodist Church, last night preached, or
rather lectured, on the late legislative issue,
bv which an impeachment of Judge White
was aimed and hinted at His subject was
announced as 1.-THE --latest Threat of the
Great Rattlesnake.'' His views were very
pointedly put, to say the least, and were in
substance as follows:
The threatened impeachment of Judge
White is very acceptable result of the late
license question, to the temperance party. The
prohibition party should be very glad of the
menacing threat as it enhances and empowers
their just and humane movement The intro
duction of the liquor mems petition plainly
dicates that the liquor men are unwilling TO be
governed by legislation; hence the idea is alb
solutely absurd. Why not impeach Judge
when he renders a decision on any other ques-
tion-for instance the oleomargarine cases?
This business was declared ilegitimate; but
the manufacturers simply took an appeal.
HOW HE WOULD HAVE RULED.
If had been in Judge Whites position /
would have granted promiscuously to every
man or woman who made application for
license having the money. Why? Simply to
show the gorgeous failure of supposed pro-
tective high license" and to awaken the con.
sciousness of the public to the utter failure of
that law, as the imposition to which the people
are subject under its influence, therefore prov
ing to them that another method is needed
that being absolute prohibition.
compare this liquor uprising with a rattle
snake which coils itself in your path; but, until
molested. will not harm you. If you arouse it,
nd faNo
effect The way to deal with the liquor traffic,
then, is to crush it as you would the snake.
Society is wholly responsible for the exist
ence of this great evil. do not blame the
saloonkeeper at all. The public practically
says; "You may go into liquor den and get
drunk, and when you are arrested for such
breach of law and order the people will blame
the officers for maintaining the law" hold
that society and the entire nation are Just as
responsible for the continuance OF the saloon,
as they were in permitting slavery before the
Emancipation Proclamation and the subsequent
abolition of the inhuman and unjust practice.
This is why say thaS the only direct course OF
societyis to prohibit and abolish absolutely the
manufacture and traffic of liquor.
One thing regard as important is that the
people should not feel personally responsible
as to whether the traffic should exist. Not in
dividuals, but society, is responsible for such
existence. The business is
O6MOhAL1LlNS IN ENGh1 hESfEOI,
socially, morally and financially. Only an oc-
casional man makes money in the business. He
starts out with big clash and hurrah, but ul-
timately succumbs to ruin from the degenerate
effects of the occupation. With the admins
trative ability needed in this business, they
could make far better showing every way in
slegitimate and morally influential mode of
life.
As 90 the question Of high license, / think it
is an unmixed fraud as temperance measure;
but as a profitable revenue law il is an unquaT-
fed success. It establishes the LIQUOR business
and protects it so that it is not amenable to the
law, and here venture to say that if some
lasting and effective plan is not brought to bear
onthe question, the Brooks law will be, by vari-
years, and the same state of affairs will 60 on
n before its enactment
It is marvellous how the prohibition sentiment
has grown throughout the country, and it is
perfectly safe TO say that there is q large ma
1ority of people in favor of it, but there is a
difference of opinion which makes it in many
Nrespects impract cable as yet
Nook at the good results, though, following
as wake in States where prohibition exlstsi
The testimony from them is of a most encour-
aging character. To argue that il is a failure,
to the furtbering Of the interests of mankind.
What we must do is to join heartily in our ef-
forts in suppressing this great evil, and bring
about the desired results by supporting the
amendment.
Mr.. BeazeIl said that it was sheer folly for
Mr.. Shiras to say that he was not working for
the liquor men. 1t was too apparent for denial.