Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-07-05
Indiana Liquor Law.

fngs of very many of the people of Indiana,
in relation TO the subject designated by the
caption of this article. To say that not few
of the features of the Indiana Liquor Law
are oppressive to the business interests of
many sections of our State, and tyrannical in
their effects upon individuals among whom
they discriminate and that those features
will meet with constitutional condemnation
by the Courts or general reputation by the
people, Is to express a sentiment which is be-
coming quite PREVALENT sentiment no more
specific to the law in point, than general in
its application to nearly all the enactments of
the late Fusion Legislature.
That the people of Indiana desire and will
have a reasonable and constitutional law for
the suppression of the evils of intemperance,
there are none, we suppose, blind enough to
deny. That they will also modify, in many
respects, the one now upon our statute book,
seems to us equally certain Let there be
no resistance to its execution; let it have
fair trial, wherein it must bear the test of
judicial investigation and pass the ordeal of
an sxacting public sentiment, and when it
has done this and shall come forth from
the crusibls purified of its dross = then,
and not until then, will it be recognized
as a tolersble or permanent institution. We
defer further comment however, upon the
subject, and give place the Jacksonian's arti-
Gle, that our readers may perceive the views
Of its editors upon the question:
"Give 1t a Fair Trial"---The New
Liquor Law.
We hear and see a great deal said about
giving the new liquor law "a fair trial." We
want to know what those who talk this way
mean. If they mean that it shall not be
forcibIy resisted by mobs, as the prohibitory
men were in the habit of resisting laws pre-
vious to the passage of this law, then we
agree with them if they mean that the law
shall be obeyed aud carried out while it is a
law, we agree with them; but if they moan,
as we believe is the case with the majority of
those who talk this way, that it ought not to
be legally resisted by appeal to the highest
judicature in the land to test its legality, to
test its pretensiOns by the consttution-the
paramount law of the land-then We do not
agree with them. Or, if they mean by giving
it fair trial that the people shall refrain from
talking, speaking or writing about it, and ex
posing to the public gaze, and holding up to
public Indignation, both the law and its
makers, we do not agree with them
We know, and all who talk about letting it
alone and giving it "a fair trial. know, that it
won't bear popular or legal scrutiny; that its
only salvation for an hour, is to have the peo-
n L. Il
It's utter humiliation of every fundamental
principle upon which civil liberty and free
government are founded. The Law, if car
red out, may stop, and doubtless in individ-
nal cases, would stop some incompetence and
drunkensss, but, in doing this we hold it vio-
latss human rights, destroys vital constitution
al principles, and establishes precsdents fatal
to freedom. Hereafter, if the principles and
presidents set up by this law, remain unchal-
lengsd, ii will not be difficult for any popular
majority, who, by accident and fraud. as in
the case of the late Legislature, may chance
to get into power to find in them precedent
forany snormity, on any other subject Tenn
perance is the plausible pretsxt for the pres
ent tyrannical law.
1t will soon pass away and some other
fanaticism must take its place. For instance,
suppose priest-craft becomes in this country
as odious az it once did in France, so as to
supsrinducs the terrible reaction and revolu-
ton which occurred there; suppose the Bible
should be pronounced here, as it was there,
nothing but "old wives fables" - that il
should be trampled unller foot and commit
ted to the flames here as it was there, what
WOULD hinder legislature, according to the
principles of this law, fpm passing another
law TO search your house for your Bibles upon
the plea that the Bible corrupted the public
morals Admit the right of search for one
thing upon such plea, and you surrender
the whole; you have no liberties left which
may not be invaded. If the right of trial by
Jury is abolished, as has been by this Law
concerning one species of property, or one
sort Of crime, it may be for all sorts of pro-
perty, and every grade of crime; if the writ
of repleven, hitherto regarded as only second
to the writ of Habeas Corpus, is to be dis
.pensed with and denied as to property il
intoxicating liquors." what constitutions
barrier is left, that it may not be denied as tC
your horses, cattle, moneys, goods, and chat
ties of every other description; if you are
forbidden by law from making cider, anC
wine, and ale, and beer, and whisky and
brandy, except as the law authorizes" why
may they not forbid you from making corr
e-A "@-Ooe1 VI AotSAlS 20 "A-Na A'Nio~ot ~oNeA'
and mulesS if you may not make cider ant
wine without " authority of law" why ma,
you cultivate apples and grapes except b.
authority of law?' If you may not Civ
your neighbor glass of cider, or a mug o
beer, why may you give him glass of mill
OF meals victuals? Temperance is goot
thing, but liberty is better. Intemperance i
an evil, but despotism is far greater evil.
We know some newspapers in this Stat
whose editors, evidently, from the way the.
speak of it. never read the law at all, wh'
keep talking about this 'fair trial"' and wait
ing for the ballot-box to correct it if it i
wrong, yet are careful neither to give thei
readers the law, nor their own opinion
about it. Why, what is political journa
for, if it is not to keep the public informed
upon political subjects And is not this Law
political law Is it not law that affect
directly or indirectly every man, woman, anc
child in the whole State? 1t affects then
for veal or for woe, as it lessons the trad,
end commerce of the State; it affects every
one of them, if they are responsible at all, il
the thousand ways it may be unwittingly vi
olated, unless they are appriEed Of its provi
sions. Yet we notice one editor ignorantl,
stating to his readers, that hereafter no per
son could buy liquor without license from
a physician, when there is no such provision
in the lava license from physician is N
protection. 1t affects svsry one who has t
pay taxes. because all have to pay to bu
liquor and pay agents; yet they cry ''peace-
be still !" You may talk about nggers i
Kansas, slavery in the South, any of the OF
erations OF the General Government-abot
National affairs, but State laws, laws whic
invade your domiciles, laws which send tn
tax gatherer to your pockets, laws which sen
apolice officer to your tables and your cur
boards, which fill the land with spies and il
formers, which multiply crimes, create Law
suits, and put your persons in Jail, these n1u
be ignored, these must be passed over in $