Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-10-05
PROHIBITION
To the Voters II Blair County.

I bIalT couHsy, lIIcha!S 10 the pa>Sag ci a .av
/ prohibiting the traffic in Intoxicating drinks
as a committee to address you upon th.s la
portant subject. The meeting BY which y
were appointed, was held in pursuancs o p o.
vious notice. III Hoilifaysbarr. on -S-ur r.Iav.
September 23d. and As the time is shot ~
can only ask your intelligent and candid at
tention to brief summary of th. reasons
that We think ought TO induce every cons.
citizen to go to the polls AID vote roR PRoHi-
RITIoS. We wish this question to be decide
upon IT'S oarn 1aer;tS. 1t is not pa ty Gu =
ton. OF the undersigned some are Of on
party, some of another, and some are 10.
partzans at ali; aud we appeal 70 you, not &.
post5zG5ts, but as ctitccHS. as }'k5j 4.karopjsts
Patriots and Christians We rss5acc.fl'lv
ask you TO vote, and 70 vote in the fear e
God aud the love IF man, acca;-t;Eg TO your
convictions of RIGHT. We pretend not 10 dc
tate to our feliox-ci'izens. but to reason with
them in the spirit of l.indneSs an3 cf eandcr.
In this spirit We submit to your caIln Jug
ment the following considerations
1st. No citizen can avoid geggOns;E2ity In
this matter. Those who do not vote. ar.
counted with the majority, for they silently
acquisce. Ii you DO not protes: against tn
iq~or traffic, by d.p"s;ting your vot,. YOU
will be reckoned its friend, unless you are
providentially Kindred from coming to tho
polls. In great moral question there is no
neutrality. He that is not for prohibition as
things stand, IS against it.
I'd. Government Is designed for the pro
lection of the people against ry2ng. aEd ti,c
liquor traffic IS the cause of the great luaicri-
ty of the wrongs which it is the of law f.
prevent. Prohibit the traffic in LIQUOR, and
you staunch the most prolific fountain of
crime. and sorrow, and pover.y, AMI death
WiD you not vote to protect tie poor d~unla 4
from fell temptation that lie has no poHeI
TO resist: our youths tTcm the direct danger
that besets them; wives au3 children f-ou. tha
abuse, and shame, and poverty, au6 suffering.
which this traffic brings upon them: and So
ciety from the horrible disorders and oncrau
burdens which this business occasions? a
pou in favor Of protc-fiay tie hsipisss ~ Ter
Then vote for prohibition
3d. The liquor trafl.c does no qooJ. Il Is
of no 0ocazr age either to the liquor dealer or to
society. lie could do better at anolher business
If he would Try. ana society woula be more
prosperous if there was no sgch Frai1ic. Ii
the capital, time talent and labor that is worse
than wasted in this business, were turned in
to virtuous channels ct made, the state would
be Immensely more prosperous.
4th. i MS traffic docs il3a8JeaSe harm We
cannot, IN this short ID ross, raei < The heart
reuliug details Of druukauncsz. profanity.
Sabbath breaking, idlencss, H.n iourues.,
profiigacy, rap=s, suicides, MURDERS bur@la-
ries. bulnncs, thefls, rohLeries rio;s, barte-
rics, loss Of health, railroad and steanboa;
disasters, wife-beating, ,chiid-al using, poverty
and other naneless cnnrul,ies that
spring directly from the LIQUOR traffic. With
il three years seven persons have been tried
for murder in our County Court, md in eccrg
case the liquor traffic was TO blame. as was
proven in open court OF II6 criminal trials
that have occurred in our court in the same
period, three fourthS were traceable 20 the
same origsn, and IN most Of the other cases
there was a presumption of the same state Of
facts And five-sevenths of the inmates of
our Poor House, are there from causes con-
nected with this traffic This proves
9th, The liquor trafh.. eaOrnl0usiy increase
oar 4ar.s. Crime and pauperism are a great
expense TO our county ami our Sta;e An
examination of the accounts IF Lancaster
county, proves that nore than Il # of the
county tax paid by the people of that county,
goes to support the paupers and criminal
made by the liquor traffic; and we are OIL
opinion that it is so in our own county. Now
is it fair and equitable that al other trades
and occupations should be taxed to pay for
the mischief occasioueJ by this dreadful ;raf
Gc VIII you, felow-citizens, vote to in
crease our taxes by voting against prohibi-
ton VIII you, for the sake OF liquor deal
ers, vote money out of your own and your
honest neighbor's pockets
9th, Had we time TO spread the figures be-
fore you, we can show by figures that canuot
lie. that this traffic costs this Commonwealth,
BY direct waste, and other losses, forty-thrcc
million six hundred thousand dollars annual
"; more than enough to cancel our State
iebt.
7th, But our plainest argument for the
law IS. 1t has bean tried, and with
the most triumphant success. In Maine,
where il was first tried, the people would not
give it up Even those who opposed it once,
now plead for its continuance. They find 50
much less crime. and suffering, and pauper-
ism, and so much more peace, good orrer anc
business prosp rity, that they viii not part
with it, Let as try ~ to!
Such are some Of oar res0ns for asking our
fallow-citizens TO help rs aud THEMSELVES IN
this good cause And after answering two OF
three objections, we viii leave the subject
with God and the people.
Objection ist. \ proh.bitory law Is un-
constitutional Let Chief Justice Taney OF
the United Strtes Court. answer. IF any
State deems the retail and internal t'athc in
ardent spirits injurious to us citizens, and
calculated to produce idlen IS, crime, or de-
bauchcry, see nothing IN the Constitution OF
the United States, to prevent it from reguist-
ing or restraining the traffic, or from prohl-
biting it altogether. il L thini; proper AND
so saw the other judges
Objection ID "The proposals to search
for liquor, is an infringement of private
rights Answer: not at all The law now