The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-08-01
Mtsrfllanfulls.
... From the South Caroliaian. .
Action of the Temperance Convention, &c.
Candidates for the Legislature.

From the South Carolinian.
Action Of the Temperance Convention, &c.
Candidates for the Legislature.
MEssRs EDITORS: Through the medium of
your journal address the public on the sub,
ject above mentioned. Any person who will
attentively peruse the proceedings Of the Tenn
perance Convention, held in Columbia in May
last, cannot fail to perceive that the action Of
that body had reference to the referring the
question to the people, whether they themselves
would be willing to have law passed which
would prohibit the selling, or the making and
selling, of Intoxicating liquors. 1t was sup
posed that by petitions being circulated amongst
the people, and signed by them, asking the
be referred to the people, whether sucha law
as would amount to the prohibition of the
selling, or the making and selling, of intoxica-
ting liquors, the question would be disentan.
Sled from all discussion in the elections of this
year.
Such are the views which prevailed amongst
the delegates Of the convention. 1t seems to
the humble individual who pens this article,
that it is strange such action could have been
misapprehended. Where candidates for the
Legislature have seen fit to express any opin-
ion on this subject, they declare themselves
very decidedly in favor of temperance, but op.
posed to intemperance, and also opposed to
the enactment of prohibitory law, usually
vention would desire that the people, through
petitions, should ask the Legislature to refer
this question to the people, and if the people
are in favor of such a law, then that the Legs-
lature should pass it. Now, ask the people
of the State, are the candidates for the Lcgis.
lature, now before the people for their sutfrages,
afraid to trust the people with an affair that in
terests them as deeply as the ubject of tenn
perance does9 Why, then, do they say they
are opposed to the enactment of aprohibitory
law? Do they suppose that the people are
not capable of judging and acting for them
selves? Are they the peculiar guardians of
the peoples rights, and are they 50 careful of
the preservation of those rig hts that they are
fearful of submitting the question as proposed
by the Temperance Convention to the Judg.
ment of the people themselves? Let the peo-
pie Judge Of this for themselves. One asser-
ton will venture to make: If three-fourths
of the people in all the districts and parishes
in the State respectively were in favor of law
prohibiting the selling, or the making and sell
ing. of intoxicating drinks, very few of the
candidates for the Legislature would be found
in the ranks of opposition to such law.
Another objection is started in opposition to
the legislation on the matter Of temperance.
1t is, that the subject is moral one, and should
be left to the moral sense Of the people. That
is the very thing we propose to do. We de-
sire that this matter should be determined by
the people, and not that the privilege of deter
mining it shouM be acithheM trons them. The
objection that this subject should not be egis.
lated upon, is not only obviated, but utterly
annihilated, by fact that stands out promi-
nent in the legislation of this State, and of
every State in the Union for every one of
them have laws regulating, and some of them
prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors.
The statute book of this State is full of laws
regulating the traffic in liquors. Surely, then,
it cannot be an Infringement Of any mans
liberty to do now what has always been done
-legiSlate on this matter. If the people de-
termine to stop the sale of Intoxicating drinks,
and require law of that kind to be passed,
the representatives of the State Legislature
would not dare to disobey their will, and if
they did once dare to do SO, it. would not be
done second time.
Such are some of the views that. t.have been
ELECTED by the action Of the May Temperance
Convention. Public attention has been excl
ted and drawn to this important subject, and
there can be little doabt that good will result
from it. People will begin to see how vile and
debasing are the effects that flow from the sale
of Intoxicating drinks. They will see how
much of social, individual and national happi-
ness, is swallowed up in this burning, enslaving
passion to liquor They will see that it is Thea
most blighting curse of the land, destroying
and whitening, and blasting, in its terrific
march, the brightest prospects that have ever
been placed before human vision.
This is not the extravagant effusion of
heated brain. 1t is the sober Judgment of one
who has seen something Of human life, and is
now at the post of duty, bearing with his fel-
low men "the heat and burden of the day."
and sharing all the responsibilities of a man.
I feel deep interest in all that looks to the
promotion of the good of my fellow beings.
do not expect that the work in which am
engaged will be accomplished without strug-
gle, and while that contest is waging, 81 give
my hand and my heart to it.
An Asiatic chief, being asked his opinion of
wine remarked that he tho't il was Juice en-