The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-03-18

DESTROYING life, were closed bY ? deatn
COMPARED with which any sudden dealt
Is enviabl And then say, Il the
Iiouor.Trafic does not every year
repeat, with enormous aggreyations,
tbe catastrophe Of that Richmond
Theatre! u IL NJ Al
You, People Of Virginia, by one
word. can put an end to the annual
repetiton Of that aggravated, and
heart-rending tragedy Will you not
speak that word
In relation to the duty Of Govern!
ment, and how this duty has been re-
cognized by the law-making power Of
Virginia, the address says:' .tid
1t is the great duty Of Society, to
protect itself and its people against
wrong and evil whether coming by
violence, or fraud, or perhicious and
corupting allurements. This is a chief
endLnay, il is The End-for which
Society and Governments are formed.
Society, or the State, through its Le-
gislature, should protect its citizens
against whatever threatens their lives,
property, morals, peace, or happiness.
No sane man ever deemed such a
protecting law " invasive Of individual
right, or freedom !" bee ,use no sane
man ever deemed Freedom to be the
right of doing mischiefwith impunity.
Your Code teens with instances Of
such legislation forbidding practices
of which none, nor all put together,
are thousandth part so destructive to
health, property, morals, peace, hap.
piness, and life, as the Liquor,T Traffic
is.
An amiable and excellent Lawyer
a husband and a father-in 1909, was
killed in duel. Our Legislature i'm
mediately passed the stringent law,
not only declaring it murder to kill in
a duel, but making whoever should
send, accept, or carry challenge, in
capable of holding office ; and re-
quiring from every man elected to
any Office, an oath MQtke had not vio-
lated thai lasO, and mould not vioLate IL
@hi1e he should hold tie office. .i
affirm without hazard of just con-
tradiction, that for every Virginian as
much loved andrespected as that Law
yer, who has fallen ina duel, more than
a thousand such have died Of strong
drink, made and sold for lucre /
Again--In 1888, a young man hav-
ing killed another with a pocket pistol,
in a conflict which the SLAYER had
sought and was prepared for-though
a jury acquitted him-your excited
Legislature forbade any person, under
severe penalties, to keep or carry
about him a pistol, dirk, or other sucf
weapon, hidden from common observ,
alton. Because he might, perhaps, ir
passion, shoot or stab somebody. L
may be doubted, if the practice Of car.
rying concealed weapons has caused
in this Commonwealth, since its foun.
dation, FIVE, or even three deaths be,
GRaW8e. ~. Ha
To import, print, sell, publish, OF
distribute any book or other thing con.
tanning obscene language, or any print,
figure, or description nanJestly tending
tOeorruPt the morals Of youth; or to in,
trod~ce into any tdnityor place of ed,,.
cato" !e. a school, or to buy, OF
haze IN possession any such thing fol
for sale, exhibition, or circulation, OF
aOith intent to introduce ii into ang fam
1yOr p1ace Of education; is punishable
bya years Imprisonment, and a fine
of $500 Va. Code, p. TAO, S111
To establish or conduct any Lottery,
or sell any Lottory- ticket; is totally
prohibited by the New Constitution
of Virginia; and is made severely
punishable by an act of 1852. tSes.