The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-05-28
To the Point.


"Tho Plague and Intemperance- Parallel"
We would ask the reader after he has porusod
the article question or two, and if he cannot
solve them, let him invoke the aid of distiler,
liquor seller, pelifoggiug lawyer, venul politi-
clan or Judge. II such an occurrence should
take place in this conntry, as is sal to have
taken place in Geneva, would it be " Constita-
tiOaal, to interfere Would TINT section OF
the bill of rights be invaded which declares
that every individual has an inalienable right
:" to enjoy and defend life and liberty, acquire,
possess and protect property, pursue AID obtain
happiness and saicty;" if a Legislature should
provide for pUnshing the individual who propa-
gated the plague, and for destroying the infect
ing salvei Would not such legislative provi-
sion conflict directly with that section Of the
Constitution which says there shall be " no ua-
splrraalaHs Searches and scisairss2ii. And that
osherp provision which declares that ',pri5aIep pro
perty" shall not,be taken for public use without
full compensation to the owner is first made
Is it mot clearly unconstitutional to interfere
with mans trade or business?
After these questions have been fully and
fairly answered, we would like to have somo
one show us the difference between the case
occurring in Geneva, and the one now existing
in our country, There is 4 difference we adj
nit, in the extent and nature of the mischief
done, and this difference is all against the
liquor traffic, but in the character of the act,
there is no difference. From the way in which
the apologsts Of the liquor business reason,
one would suppose that the Constitution was
formed to protect distilllers, and iquor-seIer1
and liquor, and that no other persons or pro-
perty could claim this protection. The scoun-
drel who propagates the plague has an inalien-
able right to e. enjoy and defend life and liberty,
acquire, possess, and protect property, pursue
and obtain happiness and sufety," but the SUI
ferers have no such rights. The "Courts shall
be open and every individual shall have remedy
by,due course Of law tor injuries done to his
lands, goods, person, health or reputation y
provided, nevertheless that such individual is
a distiller, or engaged in the liquor traffic
Injuries to lands, goods, person and reputation
of women and children are excepted. They
may be robbed, of all that is dear by liquor
seller, and the Constitution admits of no re.
medy.
The Plague and Intemperance-A
Parallel.
In Henry's Life of Calvin, vol. ii, page So is
the following statement OF horrible atrocity,
committed three hundred years ngo:
" A pestential disorder had, for many years,
prevailed in Geneva and the surrounding dis
tricts, to such degree that the population was,
in fact, decimated two Thousand inhabitants
dying out Of twenty thousand, the highest esti-
mate OF tho population OF this little city.
All the relations of lie were disturbed; the
courts of Justice were closed and the evil
would have become worse, had not circum-
stances led to the discovery of a conspiracy, of
rare iniquity, even in those times. formed by
set of wretches, WhO di6Hsed the infection, by
means similar TO those employed in 1880. Their
practice was 10 mir Np The VtrRs drawR from
those iDho sick of te pklgae Nth salDe, and
then 10 place IL on Tie locks and bars Of doors,
and on he lines iE The ppbtic streets. The dis
ease waS thus spread IN he most alpfal manner
Even some OF the inspectors OF the hospitals
were in league with these wretches, whose only
object il was to share among edah other Dhai
belonged to the dead. They had bound them
selves by an oath not to cease from this course,
till Geneva, as they expressed il, could be fed
with single measure of corn, when it would
be possible for them to take possession OF the
onure city"
The above account reveals d aboIica afro
city, not often equaled in a wicked world.
set of wretches pIopGgdtiHg He DidgUe, end de-
StroyiHg The iiUes of their aeigh5orS for The sake
of gain
Thirty-one of them were apprehendod and
burnt. The physician and two assistants were
II 10 prfbahla That fhaan thran tIr-
nishod the virus from the ulcers Of those sick
of the plague. and manufactured the Salve.
Are you Mortified gentle reader, and do you
say, they deserved for their crimes, the doom
which they metz
But look, pray you, at t c plague which is
pr0pdgdted for gain dmopg Hs, and which pre-
wills so extensively. Drunkenness is a worse
plague than that which has been the scourge of
the East for so many hund. cd years. ltdeslroys
10000 lives annually. In the last len years,
100000 of our c0untrymen have gone to the
dunkard's grave and the drunkard's eternity,
The plague Of drunkenness has destroyed more
lives than was ever destroyed by the Aslatic
plague and cholera combined.
But this is not all drunkenness eXcites its
subjects to the commission OF crime-three
tourths OF all the crimes committed in the land
are the product OF drunkenness. The plague
does not excite its subjects to commit crime.
Il
poverty, md involves his family and friends,
hls wife and children with him. The plague
does not reduce to di'grace, or entail poverty
and ruin upon wife and children. Drunken
ness sends its victims 10 he'll The plague car
ries thoae whe are Christians to eternal blessed
ness, Who would not rather have his friend
die Of the plague than die the drunkard's death
The Genevese burnt to death thirty of
those Dho, for gun propagated The plague among
theU We give men legal authority 10 propa-
gate, tor tte sake Of gain, the plague of orunk-
enness among us. The Genevese quartered
the men who aided in propagating the plague,
by furnishing tle Uir9s and manufacturing he
sdlUe Those who manufacture the poison
among US, and furnish it to others who are di-
rectly engaged in propagating the plague of
drunkenness, are high in honor
Fellow. Citizens shall this death.dealing
plague be propagated forever! Shall men for.
ever be allowed by law to propagate poverty
and crime, disease and death, for their own pri-
vate emoument, and seduce your children and
mine to fall under the influence of this dreadful
plagued
What would we think of man who would
propagate the smallpox all over the country
Tor the sake Of gain or whit would we think
Of people who would give him legal authority
TO do so, by paying paltry taxi We do not
ask you TO treat the propagatoFs OF drunken
ness as the Genevese treated the prOpagators
of the plague among them. But who would
have blamed the Genevese fof burning up all
the plague-inlected salve which they found,
even it there had been great cry that they
were destroying mems property This, then,
il what we ask Give us q law which shall