American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1859-02-10
akIgSatasttr @asttts,
CITY OF LANCASTER
FhuPsdRY Morning, Feb, 10 1889

Fo thc Honorable, the Legislature OF the
state Of onto Greeting.
DING notice 10 our Legislative reports an
EEtttlmhkhg 70 submit 70 the fresnen o.
Ohio at our next election, the sProprisly Of
,.hasging the Constitution 50 as TO allow
,hs granting of hcsuse to the retailers 0'
ardent spirits. This we think the most
essnsibh move that we have noticed this
winter, for the simple reason that The Con-
sti,ution operates as warrant to allpeoPle
(bei their reputAtions what they may) to
open shops, deal in the article. and sell to
whom they please drunk OF sober. True,
The Consultation gives to the Legislature
,fhs right ttoregulate the liquor traffic, but
.in this Land Of the Free .sAnd Home Of
1thss Brave" where ''lifs, liberty and the
pursuit Of happipsss" are the sine q1i no"
of all things, and our boosted principles OF
equality dictate The right to buy and sell
whatsysr the appetites and dispositions Of
men require. W. say, tits foliy-yea.
worse ihanfolly, to attempt reformation
by penal codes. stringent provisions, gag
laws aud total prohibitions. The use Of
'alcoholic drinks is as.old as the history Of
The Buhal family. and its abuses have al
ways bsen condemned, while its uses have
been. and ever will be defended.
Intsmprance and drunkenness are ory-
ing evils, and perhaps productive Of more
misery thsn any one violation Of the record
or God to man. But it is afact well known
70 every observing man, that your Maine
Laws, your fifteen gallon Massachusetts
Lars. in fact every law that aims to crush
out the use Of aloohOliO drinks in all its
forms, has besn,. is, and must continue to
De, > fSilure, for the simple reason that
puch laws generate party strife, i'll viii and
consequently spirit Of opposition to the
l6WGofthe land; they rather increase, than
diminish the evil. Wha. then is, to be
dones q Ailow the gross evil ofintemprance
20 orun, Tiotin tho land without an effort to
znodify, arrest or oounteract itS blighsing
influenced God forbid
LET US go to work like rational set Of
bsi6gsr-repsal that clause Of the Oonstitu>
lion which prohibits the granting oEli-
oeuse to deal in, intoxicating liquors, and
istths Legislature license all men to man
ufacturs. buy ,Isell. and use the article up
on csrtain condi,ions.a First. a good moral
character; second. make it the duty Of ev.
cry man who wishSsto embark in the use
of liquors, whether purchased OF the i'm
porter or manufacturer. for retail or other
WISE TO Paysihto the hands Of some au-
thorized officer, say not less than fifty per
cent. Of the wholesale value Of the article
which bo wishes to buy. and make tho
certificate OF such officer his license to sell,
retail, or otherwise dispose OF such whis-
key. gin, brandy, or other liquor so bought.
Make til, retailer responsible in threo-fold
damages for all outrages committed BY
persons to whom he'has sold intoxicating
drinks; and last have all such funds re-
sulting from such licenoe deposited with
your coRnty Treasurer to be distributed
upon some equitable principle, say first
for the education Of poor children. Second
to, provide for the wants Of the families ol
Incorporate parents. with residue for the
purposes Of general education
We are told that the iEtempcrats man
spends all his earnings and that Of his
family for intoxicating drinks, be 1t so;
how is it to be remedied? Experience
proves, that pains and penalties, death,
Ma and judgments, with all your prohib-
itotylstatutos. don't arrest the evil; what
then isto1 be done? Wssay, it is moral
sussiop. elevation. and light and knowledge
we Raht! The dlunkard lis more to be
pittisd than punished, his appetite has be-
come, his master. The plan we propose
would give him the two-fold satisfaction o.
knowing first that his earnings would fur
nsll but lialfme enough to keep him
drunk, as prices would be increased in tha
ratio; and second, he would have the con
ISOLATION ofkhOwing that he was deposit
inssthS one half oflis earnings to supper
his fsmily.,4 ,s..n 4s $50
oatpian (Which is only shown in the
outline would have the advantage Of al
others for the plain reason that it embod
les the principles Of equality; the man Wh'
deals in the small way, say BY the jag full
would pay for his license in the same pro
portion as the one who retails h s Thousand
barrels, the only requisiiion would be
good moral character.
The amount resulting from such i
csnse would astonish the natives, and b
equal TO the education. and consequent ell
ovation of,all our p,os children, and re
lisvsi the, State from the burlhen Of paupe
taxation. Or. in other words, tn, hither
to unayoidable- -abussssof Gods privilege
would III high degree become their ow
antnt16ta ana Nv pdunatino and alavat;n