The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-11-29

experience as proved lHdt Wntfc ~. 1icat!n e
liquors are hsbtually used by tie people a
beverage, ,here will be drunkenness. And it
needs no argument to prove that drunkenness
is unfa, o.able to the protection Of life, repu-
ta:ion, and property, and ruinous to sound
morality If drunkenness is a vice. and so
briefly yirtuc. # the destruction Of the snind
and body is wrong, and the preservation of
them right, If .'order Is heavens first law, -
and disorder violation of that law; if TO blast
the hopes and happiness Of parents and chill
dren Is wrong, uud il 10 promote these IS right;
II righteousness exaleth a nation: and II
sin IS reproaeh 10 any people: if al this
is true. il must b. equally true that the sup
preston of these evils aud the promotion of
these blessings are matter OF erea. u,iiity;
that they are within the range 81 legislative
power; nay, that they imperiolsy demand
legislative action. Indeed. the proposition
that law for tie suppression of drunkenness
is useful, seems To us 50 plain matter that Il.
would b- disrespectful to tie Curt 10 urge it
further.
7Hiea. Is tie law Just? This question
may be- di-po~ci of very briefly. W. take i:
A. cer.a.n ti.at n.eal pArauce i, c,ii, ,s,in=r
which !; Is the duty of Legislature to provide.
And If this be true, it follows thai the law
making power may, without injustice, adopt
such measures as will be likely 10 suppress
that evil. The choice If those measures
must. of curse be left solely to IT, wis lom
of the legislature. Among those nlea sures.
surely none are more Likely 70 suppress the
evil than the prohjJl ion ot Tic r,a..u!4c ure
and sale of intoxicating liquors. Tnis meas
ure. then. may Justly be adopted. The fact
thai, its adoption may affect the pecuniary in
teres:s # some citizens, does not, IN any prop
er sense, render the law unjust. |. i not ua-
1
injurious to the public good Nay, it IS in
Justice 10 The public for such citizens 70 pur-
sue such business The maxim Sc ntgre
tuo ut aE;enuDt non irdoS, is equally spl.ica,
BILE to natural an1 positive law Unquescion-
ably, the power 70 prohibit all Ljnds OF occu-
pations reasonably deemed in urious TO The
public is in the Legislature. and lis eXetc Q
cannot be un iuSt. The interest Of tie whole
society,"" says ralev, ''is binding upon every
part Of il. No rule, short of this, will pro
vide for the stability OF government. or far
the peace and safety of social lie. Where
fore rs individual members Of The S.ate are
not permitted 10 pursue their enloIumen- 10
TIE prejudice of community, so IT IS equally
a consequence Of This rule, that no particular
colony town, district can justly concert
measures for thcir separate interest, which
shall appear at the time to diminish the
P
necessary to he justice of measure, that !.
profit each sn. every part Of community; but
what | = iirrl is that those counsels can never
be reco ciiei with tie obligation reSuisla.,
from civil union: which cause the whole hap
pness OF socie.H to be in paired for a conv n
icncv Of a part" Paey's Moral aul PoH.i-
cal Philosophy. B. 6. ch. 8 The same WI
ter, in B. +, ch. 2, says, The mischief, OF
drunkenness. from which we are TO compute
the guilt of 1t. consists ii the following bad
effects: Is. Il betlays most constitutions eth
er to extravagances OF anger, or sins OF lew
ness: II. il diSquaiities men for the duties OF
their station, both by the temporary disorder
Of their faculties and a. length constant in ,
capacity and stupetac.ion; Sd. i is attended
with expenses. which can often be III spared;
4-h. i IS sure to occasion uneasiness to tie
family Of the drunkarl: 5;h. it shor;ens life"
lalcy viii scarcely b. st down a> q ''tanat-
ic.' The words Of his are 1.-The words az
truth and spbvrness." And he adds - them
the following observation: To these conse-
quences Of drunkenness must be added the
peculiar danger and mischief Of the example.
Drunkenness is a soc,al, ,estive vice; apt, be
yond any vice :Lat can BE- mentioned to draw
in others by the examples" II, then, drunk
cnness leads to anger ana lewdness; If it dis
qualities men for the duties OF their station;
il it dIsturbS tie happiness of families; ii it
slIoEss''S me- Il !: .,'s os-.,.s 1'ssy q can
.''' GUS an j - - d
So 'oe Il "l' pei
~ fe>a''S' can . "a" ne >o'e ooJsI' u "','9H
- 90 suppress ''eSe e''tS' '7 o-i1e' -<e '''<-A
J">1: = D..-,...- =,
is1 ''.eii - ''e - O 2',' '..I' - 'iIe
sui - = : : Pi'ls' o'
je't -
Ii Eas oeeh SAT- oE the opponents OF ms
"a" INA: Il Is NJ, proper >doJeet OF ie9isl'
i've action because !. i maEer OF morai5iy
-" n'oEi" suoJec.- bat tfis IS one oI 'i'e