The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-08-28
The Sin OF the License Policy.

1 ~ Na- awful llurtI-iolr million
podle- in ietter-, four million souls
IN bonds. For them -ervitude, for
. dishonor; for them weeping, for
A. corruption; f,r them a people in
chains, for u nation in iniamv.
BIT We ov-rc4m- II AZ last. Light
came in from handful; score;
a thousand Examinations We swept
the iniqnIiy from our midst, and
slavery j. a troubled memory and
not present curse.
But the liqlor traffic has u by
the throat. Ii has entered domes-
TIC lie, and society. and business,
aud state craft. and Christian citi-
z-n- have combined the traffic, and
Christian voters nave been d.lu led
Dy the license fee.
The worsi feature ahOu, the lIq
business l. not taat there are a
lnarter OF a million licensed e-tab-
lishm ents; nor that We waste Tor
irink in everyiwelve months enough
to pay of two-thirds Of the national
debt; or that one hundred thousand
men each year are killed by ii; or
hat vice, poverty, crime. and
wretchedness come from it all the
time; no the biting, burning, with
.ring curse Of the thing is this:
That il has by IL license money,
lit political influence. and its social
power bribed nine-tenths Of the peo-
ple into silence and virtual acqlie--
,ence in its wickedness.
This, take it. is the naked truth.
We have made an agreement with
nell aud a covenant with Death.
We have 80 trained ourselves in
political corruption and civil ini-
EQUITY tina; the liquor traiiichasgrown
toseem a necessary thing. We have
made it legal and semi-respectable !;
nave thrown around it the safe
guards Of the law; have given i,
1.-The right to make contracts and en-.
force claims; and as citizens OF the
state and nation we have become
partners OF the whole business, and
partakers OF the dishonored fruits.
What need we do? What can we
10? Destroy the traffic? Yes. We
night to destroy the traffic. Can
ye do il? Yes, When2 Why,
whenever we are willing TO elect to
lflice such men-and only such
men-as are pledged TO il prohibit
ton.
But that il not the supreme mo-
tive that should actuate u- in this
natter. One must be honest and
rue TO himself. The best citizen j.
le who does each day what at the
all OF night will leave him clear OF
civil impurity. A man should be
against the license system, and
against license men. and against a
license party. because be i ether
wise by the very nature OF AmArl-
.an government spoke in the Ii
rense wheel. a unit in the license
system. and TO degree resp ,nsiole
for the license outcome
What we most need, | think. l.
T. turn our eyes from the seductive
bIandishmentS Of the drink trade Ito
taxe avay our supporting lnilience
and our assisting hands. II we
could do nothing else We could at
least do this. and it would be the
beginning Of victory. In licensing
the traffic We have not subdued II
but it has subdued u, and COMPEL
ed u to give il right Of way. IL
should exi-t-if it exists at al-as
an outlaw. with no civil rights. at
the mercy Of every foe, exposed to
the unhindered wrath If every
conner. The sin OF license il that
the government has taken in hand
traffic that should be stranger 10
friend or favor, and has given It the
rights Of life, liberty and the pur-
lsul, of i,s victims. The sin OF the
license voter j. that he gives per
sonal and political assent 10 this
lunion o, law and anarchy.
Personal virtue is the prelude TO
national honor. The states will not
all or any spontaneously prohibit
the drink traffic. Its prohibition
will come only a. msiorities in the
various commemorative shall 50 de
mand The only way they have TO
demand i the way Of the ballot.
Resolutions may sound but ballots
count.
some urge that there are not
enough Prohibitioni-ts 70 carry the
country. | reply: There are
There are probably enough men N
At least many of the states to-day