Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-08-25

u Il. tnlnks ccrtOner, the law you Wnnl
would be cruelty oppressive. -
What IL law lurl ID u 10 protect the
weak sgalpst the strong. or IL II. to arm
the strong and iawiess with fearful pow
er 10, destroy the weak aud deIencelessl
Talk about leaning on the side u mercy
Where docs the present licence law
lean, Morrison Does II not throw q
broad shield over the guilty heads ol
Sumse Hers, to protect them in bblng
the innocent, multiplying psupers and
criminals, aud lu filing the land with Ia.
menia'ion, wniliup, aud woo
Nov, epndidly, Soribner do you not
think Il would be on act OF great lnius-
tice IN the legislature 10 pass such a
Jaw LA law that must necessarily turn
many persons out. OF employment, aud
1 redoce their eaphal IlI;y per cent, II not
totally anYlhilate it.amrI f sae
| Not Ut oil, Turn about is fair rluy.'
| They have been engaged 10 running lor-
tunes long time : now, ~ sittulns their
ticrIune BY stopping ihcir business, let
them be ruined, ...s .....
certainly think. Scribner. you are
very lanatiesi In your notionss With
what legal knowledge have, cannot
see that the. legislature has any right TO
enact such alaw. So
We'll. sir. what right had the legsla-
ture 10 pass the Jaw we nov have! II
they had power and authority TO pass
law tbatwill allow not more than one 10
a thousand to sell, have they not power
and also the constitutional right, ~ pro-
bibit all from selling batf
. think not. Their object was to reg
ulate the sale, not 10 destroy IL, You
are asking for a law that will annlhilafc
the traffic. The Legislature. no donbt
has right TO pass any law, as they have
from time TO time, 10 regulate and sup
press the abuses OF the traffic, but no
right TO destroy il. TasisrT 81 sre
You might us well talk about passing
a law TO regulate brothels, gar bling
houses, 'iorse rucing, and cock fighting.
Do you rot know, Morrison, that not
wItfslanding oil the ,inkering and law
muking upon the question for two hun-
dred years, intemperancc has been in
creasing, and Is now running rampant
over the land ! And yet you are for
regulating Il ''-' ..r
AZ understand the constitution OF
the United States. this 10 oil that can be
done. said Morrison. wi.hsmuch warmth.
There is nothing in the constitution
OF the general government against such
a law. You are aware. yr. Morrison,
that Congress prohibited the sale IN the
District el Columbia during the cholera
season, Now,ii they. under the con-
stiiution, had right 10 psss probblto-
ry law In the District Of Columbia. will
II be violation Of the constitution ior
our Legislature &c pass. q similar law for
Tor this state And you are aware.
suppose. that Congress has passed law
prohibiting the introduction and sale OF
ardent spirits In the Indian territories.
Now, II the passage OF that law was not
a violation OF the constitution. Will Il be
unconstitutional FOR our legislature to
pass law, prohibiting the sale In this
state
What Congress did In the cases TO
which you have referred was NIL very
proper. Il was thought at the time
that the free use Of spirits made the
people unhealthy. and prepared the way
for the scourge; and tha. II exasperafed
the Indians. and made them moro war;
like and savage. These are the rersops
which led them 10 pass the laws TO which
you have referred. ist n.4. ss
Well. sir. tits of liule con cqnence
what where their motives the QUESTION |
is, Had they the constitutional right TO
do II ! II II was not violation Of the
constitution 10 prohibit the sale in the
District Of Columbia aud In the territo-
ri's. most clearly IL will not be uncon-
sttutlonal 10 prohibit II In the several
states.
That is possible but Il seems to mo
TINT traffic which has been establish
ed In our country Tor two hundred years 4
by common consent and the usages of
society ought not 20 be annlhlhted IN
this uncermonius manner, without CIV
ing the men who are in the business a
chancn 10 turn themselves. D
.o Ii your argument has any force, then
we have no right to engage in any meas
ure to overthrow Satan's empire; for
that has not only been established two
hundred years by common consent. but
Elk thousand. The truth is. Morrison,
the rum traffic Gun have no claim oh our
sympathy ON account OF It's long stand.
ing. Each additional year Of It's hoary
age, n IL rolls It's tide Of fearful woes
ovel the land. calls loudly upon Us to
rescue the inpbrate aud save his family
from ruin With regard To giving the
rumseIlersa chance To turn themselves,
what chance do they want Why don't
they take warning by the present. agita-
tiGn, and discontinue their ruinou, end
oppressive business ! IL you can tell
OF any way whereby they can be pre-
vailed upon To abandon their traffic, we
will be obliged to you; for that will save
us the trouble OF procuring the Maine
law. us
Use moral suasion that will do it,
The work accomplished in that way
will save much hard feeling and wrang-
ling T; and, besides, it is more effective
and abiding than legal force.
Moral suasion You might as well
talk OF stlling tempest or controlling
o maniac by moral considerations Us to
move the rumsellers Of the present day
by moral suusion. You may appeal 10
them in view OF all the horrors oi their
traffic. and they will laugh at, abuse, and
ridicule you. VI oral suasion has done
oil IL can do for this class OF men. The
rumsellers of this age are the .fag ends
of ruined humanity, out of whom the
last particle OF tenderness has been driy-
en- b. avarice. They will not be moved
bv any motive that can be presented
They have been pressed down by quit
aud crime 10 that strata OF society
where moral influences seldom. II ever,
reach them. Money is their object; to