Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-07-01
For the JoTna
Licenses.

In this fast age, but few men can reach 9
new idea; and il we who are not so fast
can succeedin making proper and legiti
mate applications Of old ones. we will have
done all that can reasonably be expected oi
US. Every individual is born with all the
I" rights" he can ever exercise, nor car
those rights be delegated to another indi-
vidual: oil are born with '!equal rights, y
and the only legitimate and common sense
purpose and use for laws is to guarantee
those rights to their individual poss essors.
Whenever legislative body grants spe-
cial privilege to an individual or indiyid-
uals, for any purpose whatever, they are
infringing others rights and guilty of usur-
patton; and any enforcing Of respect for
such especial privileges" is an oppression,
for whatever pursuit is right, just and hon
orable. one person has as mnnh- -ssrisrht'' tn
powers are legal, they are derived from the
people. The people never delegate the
power to infringe their Gberty--conse-
qnently any act which does in any way in
fringe their liberty is nullity, and causes
a grinding, creaking and friction In the
machinery which grease won't prevent
| should have said Judges, Sheritfs, magis-
trates, constables and lawyers, and all that
host of exerescences which grow out of the
attempt to ssgoyern too much"
The scandalous spectacle Of govern
ment granting Especial privileges for O
certain sum of money, is species of s'bar-
gain and sale'-a prostitution of the le-
gitimate end of government-that never
should be witnessed in this country; it
should be left to Austria, that beautiful
specimen of the especial privilege" experi-
ment. ~
Many well disposed persons in this COM
munity, among whom is our worthy Mayor,
seem to think swell-regulated license sys-
tem'' is the only method By which to regu-
late the whisky traffic. liz the sale of in
toxicating liquors IS a legitimate traffic,
then all who choose have a right to sell
without permit if it is immoral and in
fringes the right of any individual, then
there IS no power that can legalize it. No
man or body of men can create single
right, nor legalize that which is wrong.
Those matters belong to God alone. The
great principles Of right and justice are
coeyal with God himself and part of his
nature.
If government has the power to legalize
one evil, it has the power to legalize all.
For instance, it may, Tor certain sum of
money, grant man the Especial privilege"
" "Hip nis HtiSuOOrs 10 cOluHlt MOrulOu-
ism, to obstruct the highways, or TO COM
init any fneable offense and, for ought
can see, they might as well license the mid
night assassin, the highway robber, the
thief, and the house. burner.
The tratic in ardent spirits is a crusade
against the best interest Of any community.
1t robs man of his money for naught but
to crafty vicious and diseased appetite
it robs the wife and children of their bread
It robs the community of good citizens, by
depriving them of their moral equipoise,
and numbering them by inches; 1t sets traps
and shares to entangle the feet of the un-
wary, and holds out ''false lights" to entice
the youth to their destruction.
Self-preservation, as the first great law Of
nature, is as applicable to communities as
20 individuals and whatever is pernicious
IN its tendency, detrimental to their best
interests end contrary to their rights, they
may eject. The liquor traiic is all of these,
md, consequently, should be forcibly ban
rhed from our borders, notwithstanding the
ptiful howl Of few interested croase ers.
Ws*s.
'HE CaILD's Mother"
L. 81 80