The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-02-09
THE ADOPTION OF THE CHARTER.

Il It's Members.
THE ADOPTION OF THE CHARTER.
We understand that the question Of
the adoption Of the new charter, under
the general law Of the State, has been
postponed in the City Council till week
from Saturday next, when it will come
up for decision. 1t is important that
there should be n full and decided ex
preston Of public feeling upon the sub
ject. Every man who designs to be an
inhabitant Of the. city should make his
voice heard upoR the subject, in the
streets, if no other opportunity be afford
cd him to express his sentiments. The
opponents Of free schools will urge it, by
every plausible argument they can de-
wise, without disclosing their real de-
signs. The advocates of the change
argue with one party, that it is necessary
in order to give the city power to tax
the grog shops, and thereby raise rev.
enue to diminish the enormous burthen
of our direct taxes; with another party
it is urged by the same men, that the
power Of taxing licenses is needed to
suppress the alarming evils Of intempe-
rance-ths $50 places for retailing liquor
must be closed. say they. Thes, argu-
ments are not consistent. Ii revenue be
the object. the license law must be so
framed as to encourage the traffic. II
the purpose be to suppress the evil as
proposed, the law must be made prohibit
tory and the revenue abandoned.
In The choice between the two evils of
grog shops and no schools, the people are
decidedly in favor of taking the risks of
the evils of whisky; for they have no
confidence in the temperance or reform
that is maintained by the compulsory
process of law. They say, il it can't be
checked except at the sacrifice of our
schools, let it remain free, and we will
combat it with the influences Of know
ledge and moral training--a remedy,
though slower, is much surer and more
elevating than the power Of the law.
This movement is instigated, we are
sorry to learn, by the selfishness Of large
taxpayers, who have no children to edu-
cate, or who keep their pets from the
contamination of the vulgar crowd OF
rude children that flock to the free
schools. 1t is a blow at the rights
and privileges Of the non-tax-payers. II
there was ever cause, in which the Ia
boring men--those who create all the
real wealth Of the city-should unite in
supporting their just claims to partici
patton in the public benefits, it is ir
defence of the rights of their children to
an equal education with those Of the rich
1t is the only way Of maintaining the
equal condition of classes, and preserv
ing true Democracy in our social and
political state. If it be necessary, let Us
unite even with the grog shops to pre-
serve our public schools. Let whisky
run free, if we can preserve free &C.
cess to the fountains of knowledge fol
our children. We had rather risk then
to the demoralizing influences Of dram
shops, than to the perpetual darkness anC
slavery OF ignorance. An educated DO.
may fall, but he cannot extinguish
though he may obscure, the rays o
knowledge and virtue which have once
penetrated his soul; there is hope ant
respect for him even in the lowest state
ofdegradation; and there are CLEANS ant
seasons Of manhood, at intervals, il
the life Of o drunkard, that SHOW
his native nobility, and relieve tn
fall, though it be to make it sadder. Blu
the untutored inan, besotted by ignoranc
and unframed passions, as well as run
sinks below the brutes, and is a reproac
to his species. Vice we will ever hav
in spite OF laws. Let US have it relieve
in some degree of its brutality, by educ'
ton. even if it spread its ravages over
wide empire. Ten drunken men wi
not commit the Offences nor do the dan
age of one drunken brute in his m;
ferocity.
p. S. Last evening the Council pas
ed an ordinance referring the subject
the adoption or rejection Of q new cha
ter to the voters of the city at a speci
election on the 10th inst