Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1859-03-31
LegisIating on Moral Subjects.


be the legitimate sphere of govern
mcnt, it is universally conceded that
the protection of person and property
is its first and chief function and duty.
That government which does not ac-
complish this object is a failure Have
IRE such government? Our persons
must be protected from injurious inhu-
ences, from nuisances of every name
and kind, whether affecting our health
and lives, or our moral or intellectual
powers; and our property must be
preserved from the violence of the rob-
Der and the frauds of the crafty, or
government, to rs, is useless, or worse.
For these privileges we consent to be
taxed. If government takes our mon
ev for this service and fails to perform
it, we are defrauded, and government
is cheat.
OF course our remarks do not apply
to despotisms, where the masses of the
people are taxed to the extent of their
ability to pay, to support the power
that crushes them to earth; but to free
countries, where the people claim to
be the true sovereigns, and whose leg
islators are supposed to be their hired
servants.
For twenty or thirty years past the
newspapers of this country have lite
rally groaned with maledictions
against the "evils of intemperance;"
they have, with one acc ord, pointed to
the habit of using alcoholic beverages
AS the cause of the said "evils;;" and
they have as unanimously accused the
liquor traffic of being the cause of the
said habit But let any one propose
to remove the acknowledged cause; to
prohibit the traffic; to apply the infal
lible remedy, ami the same papers
will howl in terrible Indignation at
this interference with the rights Of
property" against meddling with our
neighbor's business. What" they
scream, "make laws to declare what
men shall eat and drink Legislate on
moral questionsl You can't force men
to be virtuous!''
Well, who wants to force men to be
virtuous? Who has ever proposed to
legislate on moral questions? When
and where did ever mortal suggest
that legislating was proper or desira-
bic in relation to what people shall
eat or drink? These cunningly-de
vised inuendoos are mere evasions of
the real points in issue; mere sophisti-
cations and subterfuges of facts and
logic to mislead the unthinking and
deceive the rabble. The onin.us can
easily be inferred from the fact, that a
large portion Of the support of the
newspapers aforesaid is derived from
the advertisements of the dealers in
intoxicating drinks. Take from them
the patronage Of the liquor and quack
medicine dealers. and one half of them
could not live month. Their very
existence depends on the continuance
of these nuisances; and what will not
a man give for his life?
Our police authorities declare, our
Judges testify, and our courts record,
that seven eighths of the deeds of vio-
lcnce, crime, and death so rife and so
rapidly increasing in our large cities,
are attributable directly to the liquor
traffic. While this traffic exists, no
mans life is safe in the streets. ANY
liquor drinkcr may at any moment be-
come infuriated, and attack any person
he happens, in his disordered senses,
to recognize as demon or foe. We
need only refer to the miserable men
now in the prisons of our city, who
killed their wives and children under
the influence of alcoholic drinks.
The dram shops endanger not only
the peace and property, but the lives
of every individual in the community
We ask the Legislature to protect us.
We ask for no law that men shall not
drink liquor, nor that they shall not
eat arsenic. But we ask government
} to protect us from the misdeeds OF
those who do these things 1t may
shut up the dram-shops. or it may
compel those who patronize them to
{ remain there until they get sober-any
way, so that they shall not be turned
into the streets while under the inhu
ence of liquor, to commit depredations
on the persons and property of the or
derly and wel-disposed Dram-shops
lare a nuisance of the worst kind; we
are taxed enormously to pay for the
punishment of the malefactors they
manufacture and let loose upon socie-
ty, and we ask protection here again
! Protect our persons and our property
, Messrs. Legislators; secure those from
e evil consequences who ''touch not