The Ohio union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1849-1854, 1853-08-10

!. Ehs Temperance Question:"

Ms Temperance Question"
Ma. EprroR In yoar paper Of July 6,
you refer 70 4 com@uuicsiica from Mr.,
skiauer, Ia wlirh' he says. " con'eOd
,hast the temperance refarm is inscribed on
the Old Democratic Banner" But yoa
say s.a, you . caaust eadOfss his viewS.'
sad ti,eu pressnl as with soar reasons.
Batif Mr. Skinner is heterOdox I've ihIak
mol you are mach moe So Aad as sou
have confessed that you may be ia crror'
we have sOmei ille hope that sou may yet
be brough, 70 sand aide BY side, with those
whom you have already denounced az
"demaecgues aud iaaaiics." You say
that you are firm in your convictions
,ha, this effort 10 bring the temperance
question into the political arena. will dam
ace and degrade both the cause Of lem
peranee and The cause Of Democracy
We wish 10 know more fully the grounds
or YOUR fears. l. il that tins "Democra
sy"of which you speak. is so much in
opposi ion 10 the temperance cause that 10
frm aconueetion with this cause will dam
a,e and d ,g,ad, the ID m'crac!;'' orr
this " Democracy " SO drunk, that for her
10 have union with the glorious cause of
temperance. will damage and degrade"
it. II this is the secret Of your fears, for
the sake Of humanity don't let them come
together. You say, " there afe numerous
moral evils ia the world, which govern
n}ni hasu right ID undertake To suppress"
We suppose tia, you have included in This
numerous" catalogue Of evils, inlem
peranee. And the logical conclusion with
you iis, thai " Governments" have no right
to undertake 10 suppress the great moral,
social aud political evil Of intemperance.
10 this declaration Of yours, as To The right
Of government. you have demonstrated one
ol two things 10 be true; namely, that you
are ignorant Of the prerogatives Of gov
ernment, or that you we're trying 10 de-
ceive The people BY stating what you knew
was not true. In any state where The
supreme authority resides. it has the right
To i,reseroe he rude Of eivi action, and
To prescribe what is right, and to prohibit
what is wrong, whether the prescribing or
prohibiting, has a reference 10 moral, civil
or I%oliiical evils, and esperiilly have
they the right, if such is the character of
the evil that the peace and happiness and
order Of the community is disturbed by it.
Another source Of your fear is, that
stringent laws which are proposed as a
cure for the evils Of inlemperance as pre-
cedenls which may be referred 10 hereafter,
TO authorize a character Of legislation
which would be hostile 10 all personal lib
er,y!" With the same mode Of rssson-
ing. you might conclude, that the passing
If stringent laws to govern the sale OF poi
son or against Nurse racing, would be hos
tile to personal liberty.
Yes, Mr.. Editor, this " stringent law"
which those "Demagngues and fanatics
are afer-will seriously sffec, the "person.
al liberty" Of the forty thousand inieM-
peraie persons in our State. It will remove
The temptation 10 o drunkenness, and
thus they will become s,ber and temper
ate mrn. Il will also affect the "Personal
hberiy' os that class Of men who have
YEN millions Of dollars invested in The de-
ies,sbls worR Of manufacturing Of intoxi-
c. ting liquors. in the State Of Ohio. Il vii
stfec, the "persoual liberty" Of that class
Of tavern keepers and doggey keepers,
who are reckless and selfish, whose deter
minaiion is TO &c, money, wi'hou, any re-
gard 10 the happiness Of others. |. will
also affect the ''personal liberty" Of The
poor drunkard's wife and his children. II
will deprive them Of their wrciched and
miserable condition. hwill remove these
causes Of suffering. II will deprive the
wife Of a drunken husband and the chi,
dren Of a drunken father and also deprive
them Of their rags AVID hunger. ! mus
confess tina, any temperance man who is
81 blindS that cannot prognosticate the
fearful calamity tina, "%slringenI law" will
bring upon the whole craft Of rummeys
deserves to be denounced as a Dems
gngue and fanatic" A. e.