The Writings of Carl Schurz/To Simon Wolf, March 22d, 1884
TO SIMON WOLF
I have received your letter by which your committee invite me to attend a meeting of citizens of Washington on the 24th inst.; or, if this be incompatible with my engagements, to state in writing such views as may occur to me with regard to the platform communicated to me together with the invitation.
Not being able to be present at the meeting, I wish to say here that most of the general propositions set forth in the platform appear to me to be self-evident; and as to their recognition, every candid observer will testify that public sentiment has made great progress in our day, although that progress may have been interrupted now and then by temporary agitation. A great many of us remember the time when “Sunday laws abridging religious liberty” did not only prevent the working classes from enjoying the public libraries, museums etc., but where, in a great many places, they absolutely interrupted the ordinary modes of communication, such as railroads and street cars, not to speak of other restrictions of a similar character. When we compare in this respect the opinions generally existing thirty years ago with those existing now, we cannot fail to observe that there has been a very marked change. Recently we witnessed in this city some evidences of that change in the opening on Sunday of an art exhibition, and the holding of Sunday concerts for working people. This was accomplished virtually without any struggle, and the result has gone far to disarm adverse impressions and even to win the approval of formerly opposing elements. It appears to me certain that the advance of enlightened liberality in these things will inevitably become more general and cannot permanently be turned backward; and it is worthy of note that this advance has so far effected itself without very strong organized efforts to force it. I have no doubt it will be so in the future. The progress of that liberality will be all the more rapid, the more clearly it appears that its results are really redounding to the mental and moral elevation, and to the happiness of the people.
As to prohibition, it is, aside from the question of principle, a matter of experience that wherever it has, on a large scale, been tried, it has failed; that is to say, instead of accomplishing its professed object, namely, to improve popular morals by rooting out the vice of intemperance, it has simply served to impair the respect for law generally, and to produce in that way demoralizing effects. That intemperance is indeed a great evil no candid man can fail to acknowledge; but that evil cannot be exterminated by measures prohibiting indulgences in themselves not vicious, thus encroaching upon the domains of personal rights.
It can be, and it has clearly in a great measure been, reached effectively by the moral agencies at the disposal of society. This, of course, is not meant to exclude just and proper license regulations.
As to the necessity of protecting the public school system against sectarian control and of distributing the burdens of taxation “equally,” the general principles will be readily subscribed to by a very large majority of the American people, although the second postulate, equal taxation, will be subject to very different interpretations when such things as tariff duties are discussed.