The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-24

otherwise obtained without total absti-
hence would be as void from the beginning
as the Pope's bull against the comet. and
the most insane political crotchet OF the
period is the demanding OF prohibition
when prohibition cannot be enfO. >ed for
want of the moral support OF the people.
have IL, but we want first a public senti-
ment that abhors dram drinking in the
home and at the fashionable bar or I'm the
clubroom, such as was In lH5. What
broke the continuity OF the temperance
reform in Maine broke IL everywhere. The
preliminary mutterings OF the war, then
the war. then the period OF reconstruction
so absorbed every energy that there came
a reaction. / apprehend that the extent
to which this reaction has gone Is not
generally realized. Dram drinking I'm the
family and i'm social circles and at club
meetings is alarming. There Is not "A
church in the city I'm which dram drink
a church, except the Catholic Church.
whose ministry and church machinery are
trying TO lessen the habit except at arms
length. If at all. Even some OF the promi-
nent workers In the several young DeO-
pies religious leagues, associations and
unions are occasional IL not habitual dram
drinkers. Ii has not been long since an
official member OF one OF the principal
churches I'm the city went through the
Court-street entrance into a Washington
street saloon. A few hours later he was
put out at the Court-street exit and taken
TO the office of a fellow-official member Of
the same church through the Court-streef
~ ''Nf
when he was put into a closed carriage
and driven TO one OF the palatial residences
on North Meridian. Such "A thing could
not have occurred fifty years ago. for no
member of any church would have been re-
tanned in church fellowship who was
known TO visit saloons. No prohibitory
law can be enforced In any city In which
such a state OF society exists. hence no re-
lief can be had I'm the enactment OF one.
What them Is drunkenness TO again be-
come the national sin? Shall the saloon
be forever on the throne? Is prohibition
as a handmade TO temperance TO he forever
abandoned2 BY no means. The Monday
after the firing upon Fort Sumter Governor
Morton had had such generous offers Of
soldiers that he rendered 40.c0 10 General
Scott and asked what 20 DO with them.
Put them I'm camp and drill them" was
the laconic reply OF the old soldier. who
had already said IL would take A half
million Of soldiers and two or three years
to quell the rebellion. We enthusiastic
young men ho0ted al the old fOgy. We
all took Horace Greeley az our leader and
said there was just nothing In the world
10 do but TO march right on 10 Richmond.
and we thought 5.o0 would do the job In
ninety days We learned better later on
and concluded that General Scott was no
fool in military matters after all.
Bad as things seem 10 the young men
who clamor for prohibition a. the curc-ail.
tenth the drunkenness IN proportion 10
population there was one hundred years
ago. What We have gained has been
through the slow and labOrious process II
education. not through legislation. What
we lost through the lntemDerance OF the
war period can b. regained only through
education. The prohihitory law Of Maine
viii never be- repealed and the Indiana law
viii be Te-cnactcd. and b~othewill be en-
forced as strinEcntly as the present laws
against the less harmful crimes OF arson
and burglary and highway robbery are.
because the people viii he educated 10 re-
gard the crime 81 dr0m-sciling a. more
detrimental To society than an these COM
hined. But this viii not come 20 pass this
year. n may not this decade. but through
the unNaffqaf lore which nth 81.
sunset OF life I easily interpret the shadows
which coming events cast before 90 mean
that long before the end OF this century
this country will BE- "a sober cOuntr, and
the great mass Of the people viii abhor
intOXiCants. and the Law will treat the
man who tempts the Young 20 drink as q
felon. and he will ~ dealt with Accord
inglN. This. ! repeat. Will not coma
through legislation. bat through the slow
plodcing process OF education.
Il. l. SEE
Indianapolis. Aus. q