The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-02-07
Drunkenness.

NOuSLlIullOhs
Drunkenness.
A young man of excellent ability,
workman in the Herald Of Freedom
office, was recently seduced by the
liquor venders into their haunts of
crime, and while there became intoxi-
Gated. He refused the advice of
friends, procured a horse. and left for
Westport. In that vicinity, while
under the influence of liquor he re-
eeived severe injury to his head. by
a fall from his horse, and is now Con-
fined to his room at the hotel in Kan
sas City.
Several other cases have recently
come to our knowledge, of injuries,
DC, to persons and property in this
vicinity, from the use of alcoholic
stimulants, which would make any
lover of humanity weep for poor hu-
man nature at their recital. Shall
we continue to tolerate traffic among
US which is the inducing cause of in
dolenee and wretchedness, and which
is laying the foundation of crime and
poverty in our goodly city? The voice
of every true friend of Kansas is in the
negative. Is it not the duty of our
people to act, as in the past, in break
ing up those haunts of vice as fast as
they make their appearance among
us? Our answer will always be in
the affirmative. The consequences
we shall leave to the same kind Prov
idence who has thus far protected our
pathway from danger.
The bogus statutes have made pro-
vision that spirituous liquors shall
not be sold without license. They
have further provided that no licenses
shall be granted until an election shall
be held, or a majority of the voters
of the town or incorporated city shall
decide in favor of such license. To
sell intoxicating drinks in violation
of this provision, subjects the often
der, by the same law, to severe pen
atty.
1t follows that if person sells
without this license he is engaged in
contraband trade, and is not pro-
tected by law. Whatever injuries
befall him in his unlawful undertak-
ing he has no redress, for he stands
before the country and the courts as
an outlaw, and can ask no protection
from either.
We understand that some of those
who were engaged in this unlawful
traffic in Lawrence, claim to have OBJ
tanned license to sell spirituous IL
quors, from these bogus courts. Even
if such license has been granted, it
can give no protection to the liquor
dealers, because they have been grant
ed in violation of law. 1t is said that
DIR. Wood, who is filling the post of
Probate Judge in this, bogus county,
instructed the applicants for license
to get petition from majority of
the voters in the city of Lawrence,
and he would grant the license. The
liquor venders claim that they got up
such petition, and had it signed,
and on the strength of this petition
the license was granted. The letter
nor spirit of the law has not been
complied with. A license granted
under such circumstances is wholly
worthless-and worse, for it involves
the party holding it in difficulty, with
out affording him any advantage.
It is claimed that the judges of the
Territorial courts have or will pro-
nounce this law a violation of the
organic act. We believe the entire
code passed by that body to be in vio-
l
lation of that act, and have no doubt
the judges of the Supreme Court of
the United States will so declare when
case shall be brought before them.
Our only object in the present remarks
is to show that the drunkard maker
is not sustained In his traffic by the
bogus laws even, much less by public
sentiment, which they are daily outrag-
ing while theycontinue the disreputable
business.