Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1852-06-05

no luxury, no necessary article OF Ell
Their food or raimcnt. We oppose thu
use of spirituous liquors as beverages
because they are poisonous, and il
any quantity, ore injurious to lifo ant
health.
Moreover, this objection, coming
from the advocates of our existing Ii
cense laws, involves gross inconsis
tcncy,-is, in fact, nero begging Of
tho question. For, what are our Ii
cense laws themselves; but ,snmp.uary
lawsl They are themselves oh evi
dence that some sumptuary regulation
is required. Now, lift is right to pro.
hibit the traffic to some extent, nigh.
it not be right to prohibit it altogether?
1t appears to us, that the right to pro.
hibit at all, includes the right of total
prohibitions And why should the
privilege of selling be limited to a few
select individuals I If it be a natural
right, it is equally the right Of ALL
These license laws, therefore, arc the
most odious species Of sumptuary re!
striction. But if, as our advcrsaries
allege, these laws are right, then do
they colitute by their very existence,
the plea urged against the right of to-
tai prohibition. Fellow.citizens, be
not deceived. This thing of natural
rights" is niadevcry convenient some:
times. Like charity it covers a null
,itudc of sins; and is used by the
.lcmagoguc, and the sclf.in,erested as
IL kind of charter for the pcrpetra-
ton of all kinds of crimes and mis-
dtmeannrs. ..
But We die not without abundant
prcccdcnts. The code of Virginia is
full of them. The restrictive princi-
pie Of our license laws is not the only
instance Of Legislative prohibition in
rhi&Commonwcal'h, Indeed, society
and government cannot exist without
stringent limitations of man 5 in1ivid-
nal liberty. There rtiust ofnecessi,y
DO restrictions upon abstract personal
rights
Thus We have in our cotlepcnalties
for. "obenres againt tAepeace." 1t is
| enacted that "if any free person hab.
'itually carry about his person, hid from
common observation, any pistol, dirk,
bowie,knifo, or weapnn Of the like
kind, no. shall be fined fifty dollars
\ sssc.i tsUs F.73s.
May not t,ie pertinontly ciiquitc
whether tic use Of spirituous liquors
is not moro dangerous and destructive
ttdlife and morals, titan the pistol ali,l
bowie.knifc. or any dther deadly wea:
non; since three fourths ofail crimes
may be directly traced to it7
There is also n chapter entitled,
"Ofe1rcs age;ea morality and deeen-
cy." If any lreo person import,print,
publish, sell or distribute, any hook
Or other thing containing obscene ltl:-
guage, dr. any print, picture, figure or
description manifestly tending 10 cor
rupt the morals of youtl,-he shall be
confined in JUL not more. than, one
year; and fndd not exceeding 200 dol
iars.' =. 74o. Also, eff a white
person arrived at the age ofdiscrctioh,
profinely curse or sweariorset drunk,
he shall lie fined by a justice. one
dollar for. each offence" p. 7l0:
Allow me to ask, what produces SO
much nhsccnity, so much cursins Or
swearing, so much immortality and in
Ancency, as the use Of spirituous Ii.
iuots?
Again, we liavo u slatnto prohibiting
md Furnishing "Ofencis dgGiast the
pQbne 1ea!th." "i' any free person
knowingly soil aay diseased, CORRUPT.
cd, or unwhnlcsome provisions, whelh:
or meator drink-he shall be confined
in jail, &c, &C.. mud fined, &C., &c.
Pill. f IT,. ns-
Under tho caption" Offences a,
sdinst public polify"-sce the pcunl.
ties for gaming, p. 743. See also our
constitutional prohibition of lotterics.
See also the Code, p. 745, where it
is cractcd that, I" If any FREQ person
~ speaking or Writingi maintain that
I! owhers hive not the right Of proper.
: ty in their slaves, he shall be confined
in Jail, &C., &c, and fined, &c, &c!
! Surely no advocates Of this last re!
stric,ion upon the right of speech and
the press will ieny the right to pro-
lihii the sale Of spiritpous liquors!
OnrCole also provides severe pen:
alties for ,bringirIg The small pox into
the STAFF. Persons infected by it,
may be forcihly removed. The coun.
Gil ofevery town may establish quaran,.
Understanding even 10 all goods and
effects
Now, it is an unquestionable fact,
that tho plague, the pes'ilence, and
faminc combined, have not been so
extensively fatal ,ohunan life, as the
use of spiiitpons liquors. Those &C.
cqsionally destroy their hundreds;
these are constantly sweeping away
thousands not oily into a premature
grave, but into eterual perdition.
We may pertinently advert in this
connection to tho doctrine of nuisan.