The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-09-30


The law stops your neighbor from tres
passing on your property; and from con-
verting TO his use the result of your la
bors. Constitutions and laws are tenn
perance pledges sealed with every mans
own interest and consent. Temperance
rightly administered, is law. The COM
munity would cry out bitterly against the
law, If it failed to give each man his
property, project him in its use, punish
him who stole il; or if it failed to hold
before the person of every one its i'm
palpable shield, guarding sacredly the
body from assault, manning, or murder;
or if it failed to enforce the performance
of obligation, the payments of debts, and
all the other objects of a refined Juris-
prudence; but mark you, this same COM
munity has not word to say if the same
thing is done by indiscretion; not word,
if your vender Of liquor wrests, inch by
inch, from his poor neighbor, the victim
to his unrestrained passions, his farm,
house, furniture, fuel, cooking utensils,
clothing, money, his all can allow the
vender OF liquor to assault, MAIN, in
fame, pessn and murder his body in
directly and disguisedly; can permit the
vender to be indebted to the family of
the inebriate even for his bread yet this
same law, so potent in the one case, be-
comes in the other powerless; this same
law cased in adamant and armed with
terrors, becomes child with javelin
of straw, utterly incompetent to its pur-
pose, entirely unfaithful to the high mis-
sion of restraining the wrong doer from
entrenching upon the rights Of the citi-
zen! Nay, further, by singular per-
version Of the law-making faculty, this
very shield, or should be shield Of the
law, becomes a sword in the hands of
the enemies Of temperance. 1t holds its
protecting Bgis over these abusers Of the
rights of others. 1t says to the vender of
liquor, you may with impunity rob your
ruin his body, break up his
family, scatter his goods only pay US
small bonus for the dear, delightful pri-
vilege! Go on in your work Of demoli-
ton and encroachment! rob, steal, burn,
pillage, destroy, murder; Or do it indi-
rectly, quietly and without buster, and
we will license you to do this work.
Yes, Law, which in its beautiful adapta-
lions to the needs Of society, would per-
meate every fibre of the body polite,
moulding with plastic power the passions
and habits of men into harmony and or
der, is torn from its appropriate purpose as
a great reStrainer and temperance retornler,
into HcenSsr ofmwder-maksrs and liquor
Uenders Another illustration of how
much men will suffer when they do not
see the hand that strikes; or when that
hand is gloved in luxury and welcomes
you to its rich banquet. There is mine
of meaning in the story told by BISHOP
BERKLEY, as to the origin of gunpowder
and brandy. "The government of the
North being once upon time vacant,
the Prince of the power of the air, con-
vened a council in He'll, wherein, on
competition between two demons of
rank, it was determined that they should
make a trial Of their abilities, and he
should succeed who did the most mis-.
chief. Accordingly all the devils were
on tip phoof-their horns were exalted, ex-
pectant Of the trial of skill between these
demons The theatre of Pan
demonium was full. The internal Or
chestra sent its peals of Discord around.
Soon the black curtain rolled up One
made his appearance in the shape of
gunpowder; the other in that OF brandy.
The iormer was a declared enemy, and
roared with terrible noise, which made
folks afraid and put them on their guard |
The other passed as friend and ply
Sician through the world, disguised him
self with sweets, perfumes and drugs
made his way into the ladies' cabinets |
and the apothecaries' shops, and under
The notion of helping digestion, comfort
ing the spirits and cheering the heart,
produced exactly contrary effects, and |
having insensibly thrown great numbers
of human kind into lingering and fatal
decay, was found TO people He'll and the
grave so fast, as to merit the govern
ment which he still possesses" Is the
story not too true, and do you not be-
Iieve that this ungnarded, indirect and ST.
lent attack of the seller of liquor, re-