The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-06-27

the SignC Ol SOcu UouTtHu uIeuf boe''V oaJ
to him, "You rob the honest and destroy the
weak?-you fill our hospitals, poor houses and
prisons with tenantse-you cause the anguish
and desoa,ion Of our familirs9-your business,
therefore, is detestable and not to be tolerated.
Does it say this? this, whichis nothing but the
truth, though far, very far, from being the
whole truth. 1t says, no such !hlng. It pro
nounces him an honest, welldoing, welldeserv.
ing man; it declares his calling Legitimate, and
necessary to the wants and interests of society;
it au,horises him to proceed in ii; it extends
over him the shield of its protection; ana, in
short, it leaves ,othing nndone to give him po'
sition, character and respectabiily, and repre-.
sent him and his business as the very reverse
of what they are before the tribunal OF rlght
reason, virtue and truth. Such is regulation by
license; such its endorsement of the liquor deal
er and his abominable trade: such the prodig
Gus falsehood it tells TO every man in partcu-
lar and % all men in general.
Now observe the difference between this and
prohibition. - %a -
Prohibition stamps the liquor traffic as an i'm.
morality to be denounced, as nuisance to be
abated as crime to be punished. 1t sepa-
rates the liquor dealer from the circle OF useful
and respectable citizens, and pointing to him
says: 'This man lives upon the vices and mis-
cry ofhs felcw.men: he temp,s and debauch-.
es them: he deprives them of reason, health,
property, character and life: he wrongs honest
industry and hard earned capital by ubjecting
them to grievous burthens: he stimulates de.
pravity to commit crime: in fine, he corrnpts
IL fy,a riFrhfc NJ or rtNs
the peace, and jeopards the welfare alike ofthe
individual and of society. He can no longer
be deemed, therefore, fit associate of respec-
table citizens. lie is o wrong doer and the
law shall treat him as such. He shall no long
er be protected in his calling as if he were
good man and useful member of the commu-
nifty; he shall be punished as the author of
great crime against God and man.,
1t will be observed, then, that while "regula
ton" calls good, evil, and evil, good, "Prohibi.
lion" deals with things as they are: calls him
a criminal who is one; calls that crime which
is 'one-and instead OF Disgusting the wolf in
sleeps clothing, and holding over him the
shield of law that he may more efectually lay
waste, without molestation, the unsuspeeting
flock, strips him of his borrowed garments, un.
looses the pack upon his heels and calls upon
every good citizen to hunt him down as an EN-
emy Of the common welfare, that can no long
er be suffered to exist. So doing, prohibition
isin conformity with virtue, truth, right 1t
permits iniquity no longer to walk in the dark.
and under false pretences to deceive the simple
and entrap the unwary. 1t stamps the-liquor
dealer with his true moral value, and it denoun.
ces and Furnishes the liquor traffic as we de-
nounce and punish any other crime.
Thirdly, "regulation" not merely misrepre-
sents itself, not merely misrepresents the liquor
dealer and liquor traffic with which it deals, but
also the proper nature Of the articles of traffic.
1t calls Intoxicating drinks 'healthfu beverages
-tgood creatures of God:" as such it provides
for their sale and use. 1t endorses the senti'
ment and publishes it to the world under the
sanction and by the authority of the State, that
these drinks, as such, are healthful and useful,
safe to all in due quantity, made dangerous only
by abuse! Was there ever greater falsehood
told by living man? or more stupendous de-
ception embodied in public law9 In preceding
numbers of the Prohibilionist we have adduced
the testimony of a host of eminent chemists
and physicians, who unanimously declare the
principal and the Intoxicating or exhiarating
ingredient of these drinks a deadly poison, ca
pabe of producing speedy death in given
quantity, land, whether diluted or nndiluted, }
injurious to person in health; its habitual use
certain to undermine the constitution, and
shorten life. Numerous as the testimonies are,
we might multiply them to any extent. Few
- in, ip
Europe, will hazard their reputation by giving
any other testimony. Both experiment and
experience have so fortified the fact affirmed
that these intoxicating drinks are poisonous,
and destructive to health and life that the
man who calls it in question, will find it difficult
to sustain before the community high char
acter for science and professional ability.
Yet regulation by license"--by supposi-
ton, the collective wisdom and righteousness
Of the State, says, "Pooh! l know better:
healthful beverages! good creatures Of God? r
and this, yes, this directly in the face of SCI
ence, sage experience and common sense
"Probibition," on the other hand, we need
scarcely say, rises on this testimony of science,
experience and common sense, as the pyramid
rises on its base. Threats all alcoholic drinks
as our laws treat other poisons-labels them as
poisons, and confines their sale to medicine
and the arts, and is thus in harmony with the
knowledge of the age.
Finally, though far from exhausting the SUBJ
ject, "regulaton" is gross and shameful ex.
ampleof inconsistent legislation. Intoxicating
drinks are either good or evil, healtful or inju-
rious. II they are good, healthful, the State
has no more right to impose restrictions OH
their sale than on the sale of bread or. meats
or egetables or milk or lemonade or soda wa
ter; if they are evil, injurious, it is guilty of