The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-13
A DRUG STORE BILL.

A DRUG STORE BILL.
Nicholson Supporters Look on 1t
with Suspicion.
A bill has been prepared, which the
friends of the Nicholson bill think is de-
signed to weight down their measure. This
second bill calls for license of drug stores
that sell liquor the license to be as heavy
as that of saloon keepers 1t is doubtful II
such measure could pass either House or
bill folks look upon it with suspicion. 1t
had not been introduced yesterday.
tee report yesterday. but was given no OPP
portunity to present it, The roll of. commit
tees for reports will be called to-day.
Thinks the Bill should Be Passed.
To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
The question that is agitating the public
mind Just now seems to be the Nicholson
bill. The people are wondering if the Leg
isature has sufficient backbone to pass a
common-sense measure in the interests of
public justice, welfare and good order. So far
as nine enths of the bills introduced into the
present Legislature, as is the case with all
legislatures, are concerned, the world the
flesh and the DEVIL will never be any the
wiser, nor know the difference, whether
they are passed or not. The majority of
the people neither know nor care whether
they are passed or not. The majority of the
people neither know nor care whether the
Kankakee is crooked or straight, nor wheth-
er the law concerning partition fences
should be amended or wiped out, but they
do feel deep and abiding interest in what
ever relates to the well being and good
order of what term organized society,"
And organized society, speaking through it's
representative citizens in almost every COM
munity throughout the State, seems to be
overwhelmingly in favor of the passage of
the bill.
The verdict of the election last fall was
an emphatic condemnation of the Democratic
party, it's methods measures and policies.
And as one of it's most settled and unchang-
: ing policies was cringing subservience to
and alliance with the liquor traffic, that
policy was certainly included in the general
verdict of the people as rendered at the
polls. Such being the case, the public
takes it for granted and as a matter of
course that no Republican member of the
Legislature will feel his knees giving way
or his courage oozing out at his fingers
ends when confronted with the demands or
the threats of the LIQUOR dealers. Here is
common-sense measure that commends IT.
self to the people, and they ask that 1t be
General Assembly of Indiana to do some
thing that will be of benefit to the moral
make evasions and violations Of the law
more difficult; something that will enable
officers of the law to better enforce the pro-
visions of the law. What valid objection
can there be on the part of any law-abiding
citizen to measure that simply seeks to
fcuit, and less difficult to bring vioiators
of such law to punishment? 1t hurts no
man who abides by the law; it bears only
upon those who desire to violate the law
Why, then, should law abiding citizens OBJ
lect to 1t? Those who believe, or think they
advocated by fanatics are seIf-deceived,
or, rather, they seem unable to comprehend
that men may believe in restricting inn
moral agencies and tendencies in protecting
society from the evils arising from the liq-
uor traffic without being fanatics. 1t Is
possible, also / am inclined to think and
many will agree with me, that a man may
believe the liquor traffic curse and the
saloon an unmitgated evil without being
tit subject for a lunatic asylum. If how
ever, such is not the fact the asylums will
have to be enlarged in order to accommo-
and their numbers increasing The truth
of the matter is the law and order class of
citizens.and they constitute the great ma
Jorlty OF all the citiZenS--are in favor of
the bill. 1t is looked upon by them as a
practical measure that will, if made a law.
be productive of good results. Furthermore
there can be no tine-spun distinctions drawn
between what is right in one place and
what is right in another place. What is
moral in the rural districts is moral in the
metropolis; what is vice in the metropolis
is vice in the village. L know of no rule
tice, as virtue, what is denounced eyery-
where else as vice: man has no more
in
Indianapolis than he has to get drunk any
where else after midnight nor do I know
OF any good reason why special privileges
should be given to one class and denied to
another. There is no good reason for AL
lowing the denZen of the metropolis an on
portunity to quench his metropolitan thirst
after the theater while denying the village
rustic the chance to get dram after an
evening spent in gossip at the corner gro
contributors the subject may be bril-
liant, but they are decidedly fallacious.
Some brilliant 60 Republican paper has said
perance people, but If you withdraw the
temperance element from the party there
would not be enough of it left to form a
corporals guard to fire salute over IT'S
grave. The Republican party is the true
temperance party of this Nation and the
best evidence of that lies in the fact that
the liquor interest has always been its nm
relenting enemy. The bitter fact is that the
Republican party has of recent years lost
its hold upon large number of the very
best of it's former adherents because the
demands of an organized liquor interest
receded from the advanced ground once oc,
cupied; but that class largely returned to
the fold in the year of grace 1894; and if the
party leaders are wise and true and orr
legislators manly. honest and brave, thew
will stay in the ranks and fight under the
banner that, with their help will lead To
national victory in that other year of grace
1896 JOHN r. MILLER
Greencastle, Ind Feb IL.
A Practical Measure of Reform.
To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal
! am glad to see the columns of the Jour
nal open to a free and fun discussion of
the Nicholson BILL Nothing but error is
afraid of the light, so let it blaze till all
are acquainted alike with the strong points
and weak points of the proposed legislation
1 desire to offer the following reasons why
the Nicholson bill should become law:
First-It is a practical measure. Every
one who knows anything about it knows
that our present license law is cunningly-
devised measure secure in its protection of