The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-11-04
APrnhihitionlst Protests.

Editor or Inc Ilncs.
sir.-I have always admired The Times
as an exCellenuy conducted and ably
edited journal and especially fof it5 ire
quent bold assaults ON moral wrongs.
Therefore H. was with feeling OF surprise
and regret / read your leading editorial IN
last Sunday ISSUE This article is prhc-
tcaUv am apology for diam drinking. or
IL YOU please. the individual right OF such
Indulgence in moderation. aud for the
licensed saloon. which position commits
YOU 10 the opposition of the noDiest ~
forts of the age in behalf OF moral ana
social reform. The Christian churches
are nearly unanimous in forb'ddns their
commun cants TO use iutoNicant ass
beverage or to engage in the traffic of the
same and certainly quite number OF
the largest and most influential of these
religious bodies have taken very hish
ground with regard ID the license sfi-
tenn and declared in unmistakcauie lln-
guage that the "sal00n must e1. N0r
are these sentiments confined to church
communicates. The trend of the best
Thought of tho day in and out of tho
church. is in the direction of tho entirely
correct position the Prohibitionists have
am along maintained and statesmen. theo-
logians. professors in the science OF Do 10
icine college presidents. man1ecrs VI
great business enterprises men OF letter,
together with thousands OF the untitled
but intelligent masses are boldly ch1in-
pi0ning the principle of Prohibition. both
from "a moral and am economic stand
point. True The Prohibition champions
arc not an identified as yet NO least with
the Prohibition party. but ON The abe
sfract question of prohibiting the hOFer-
age traffic iu liquors their name o. legion
and the brave little band who vote utlf
convictions every time hope yet to sle
unidcaG0n of an pr0hibiuonlsis. When
the liquor dynasty Will Dee overthrow.
Permit me to say with the greatest ~
spect that your contention that license
does not primarily imply "a richt 60 do
but % restrict is too utterly unfel-
able 20 have found "a place in your
throad-bare argument ~ Homer mods
on occasion. The Times must have been
asleep during the pcnning OF tho entire
article Licensing the saloon digniIes 10
with the sanction Of law. The monetary
considerations 60 into th0 public treasury
To- go out thorcfrom coupled witch COM
pound interest t0 dcfruy the expenses
which have resulted from tae license
and the sad want of restriction. flpNr
own news columns answer much of your
contention every dly). no on" expects
t0 see "al temptation" hanishei. but II
IL require temptations t0 develop clarac-
ter surely life d. quite sluclrnty sup
piled with them without losaIizing and
identifying that thing which proves mo
greatest curse tO character and country.
Tho blessed saviour of men would hard-
iv have taught us to pray lead us not
into termination" and then endorsed tho
Retaliation of "a temptation which results
I'm ire daily downfall of men. The great
commananen but when the law came
"s'n revived and ! died" that tho claw
entered that the offence might abound "
Although "a "full-nodCed" Pr0hiblflonist
I have never believed that men engage
in the liquor traffic FOR the purpose ~
harming their fellow men. but the license
system serves in large measure % mid-
gate in their estimation the offence Of en-
gazing On traffic which experience has
demonstrated does harm their fellows
III the civic law entered the offence
"w0uld abound" 20 n much greater extent
and 7 am sufficiently fair 10 the liquor
men 10 say that many a one of them
whose business IS now sanctioned and
dignided by law would acQuiesce IN tho
will Of the people as expressed IN
statutory prohibitory measure and yet
our friends the enemy fire into their
y
guns and say Prohibition doesn't pro-
hibit"
The prohibition OF tho beverage lquor
traffic Is the great moral and economic
question OF the day more important than
any OF the great questions The Times
so ably discusses This will appear quite
apparent % any and every intelligent
mind that calmly and dispassionately
studies the question rather than skim
the surface OF 70 with prejudice. Proper
ty interests political interests. environ
monts Of customs and associations all
combine 10 hamper tho truth I'm tho pre-
misses. but the ieaven IS working and
some day the cranks viii be considered
those who did not all along see that the
Prohibition argument was right
Yours for the right,
W. NJ. BICKERs.
Richmond. Va. Nov. g. 1875.