The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-01
LIQUOR LEGISLATION.
Open Letter to the Chairman of the
Senate Committee on Temperance.

Hon. Ward H. Watson:
Dear Sir-I notice that the bill to more
perfectly regulate the liquor traffic, known
as the Nicholson BILL has passed the House
by the vote of the Representatives OF sew
enty-three out of the ninety-two counties
of the State. This indicates very largely
prepondering opinion of the people of the
State in its favor. / do not know your
views respecting the measure, but suppose
that, as it is in the hands of the temper
ance committee of the Senate. of which
you are chairman, your committee will
soon consider it and make report thereon.
AS some Republicans have opposed this
bill on party expediency grounds, desire
to say word to you these grounds
also.
During several national campaign years,
including those of 1884 and 1888, / was spe-
cially assigned the duty by the Republican
State central committee to conduct the
campaign in behalf of what has been
known the temperance Republicans. I
was authorized to say that when the Re
publican party attained supremacy in the
Legislature some definite and advanced leg
islation would be secured further restrict
ing and regulating the Hqour traffic. Such
assurances were given the people in the
resolutions passed in both periods named
by the State Republican convention While
in the campaign of 1892 ] was not assigned
this duty definitely, as before, still l had to
take 1t up in response to the demand or
the same class to aid in holding up the as
surances that pledges of the party would
be carried out. In none of these campaigns
did charge or accept anything Tor my
services, though have the vouchers of the
State Republican committee for the first
two periods named for the payment of the
printing bills, clerks, and the expenses OF
CaQVaSSQrS in the work.
IA view Of these things, ! think that 1o you
thing-a good deal. indeed, about what a
large number of Indiana Republicans be-
leve should be done in liquor legislation.
now that the Legislature is Republican.
am more than gratified that nearly all the
Democratic members of the House have
voted for the Nicholson bill because such a
affects the people alike. But the Republic
an party is in authority, and If the great
fruition of their faith in the party, what
will the party In the future be to them?
Not one Of them in ten thousand IS asking
something more substantial for the people
of the State in common
Let me urge that the Nicholson bill does
not abridge the time under existing law for
the sale Of liquor. Eighteen hours. as 1T
stands in the old law. Is given ., .. out 20, Of
ness which has been under the ban of law
for centuries in most civilized countries:
Is that not enough? Other branches of
business are content with ten twelve
hours The Nicholson bill provides for two
things only VIZ; the enforcement Ole OF eS-
of majorities of voters. Nothing more.
1t would be new role for the Republican
Propositions and yet that would plainly be
the fact If 1t should go on record against
the pending measure, now in the hands of
1t is a SANDER on the tens of thousands
of our German fellow-citizens to say, as
was said in the House during the debate
on the Nicholson bill, that they are OPP
posed eslner to the enforcement of law
of twenty years standing or to the right OF
many persons nj IN saloon business who
honorably and faithfully, as good citizens.
observe the law, and who favor this pro-
posed measure for its enforcement. Neither
do they deny the right ,of petition by ma
jorities In view Of all these hes. things t It
would be should the Nicholson bill be de-
feated by a Republican Legislature. Ad-
herence to the party and faith in it's higher
aims may remain strong in many of US,
but, permanently in the minority, we can
never attain them There are too many
on this subject to ignore. If, in their opin-
ion, as it is, this Is one of the highest aims.
what will the party be to them if it re-
1t is worse than idle to compare the pres
people rg.dh those prevailing thirty years
ago. <Such view utterly ignores the
changes, that have taken place Party
men, while the purpose for good, SUBJ
stantial ends, happily again, was never
so intense as now. Who has not observed
this is a fit leader to destruction. To say,
as some do. that the Republican party when
before in power in the State lost its hold
upon the people because 1t enacted adj
vanced restrictive measures, and will there
fore lose it again If it does SO. is to say
that the people have not moved a peg That
is not true. The natural order Is to adj
vance or recede. There is stagnation no.
where. To say that during the period of a
change from the post and messenger boy to
the electric enunciator and telephone, from
the street mule and factory steam engine
to the electric motor, from illuminating gas
to electric lighting, there has been no
quickening of human thought and con-
science is to make personal confession OF
dry rot and to proclaim the rankest
pessimism. But darkened council and per-
verse human nature is not left to the
darkness of impaired reason by analogy,
every hand in touch with the impulses all
about U.S. Such changes take tangible FORMS
and usually save those VINO would De lost
under other forms of palpabiiity And so
the Supreme Court OF the state has afford
ed these. 1t has reversed its rulings on
this very question, and that was simply
due to enlightened and advancing public
opinion
Never forgetting nor learning anything
is not habit of intelligence, nor IS 1t the
habit of the masses of the people now II
the Republican party falters and stops
short now, nothing short of new Demo-
cratic catacysm could hold Republicans TO
the party for future success. In Indlana
we might not see success soon, except on
new alignments-a along. one line which
going on. and on the other the army that
has halted and gone into camp ,a2r, the
century. JOHN 70. CO4NNr4rs.
indianapolis, Feb. %