National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-04-05

Public welfare, prosperity and
safety are the object OF all legisla-
ton. Whatever conflicts with the !
good of society. the Commonwealth .
may prohibit. It is upon this prin- I
cple that the whole catalogue of F.
crimes, pains and penalties named F.
in the statute book is placed there. .
Courts, prisons and gallows are the
machinery by which the Common
wealth wars against those who are
enemies to her Wcll-bemg.
In the nature Of the ease all evil
doors are Ieagucd against the Com
monwealth. They even steal the
very livery of heaven to serve the
devil in. The league Of distillers.
importers and their agents, the re
tail vendors, the rum-sellers, and
drmkard-makerS assumes the name
Of Public Safety Associations" in
their desperate war against the
peace and WelI-beiug Of society.
Gain is the object. So long as
their profits are not lesSened, it is
certain the prohibitory law is not
efficiently enforced but when the
"Public Safety Association springs
into existence, and the Interests
which it represents beSiege the State
/ House, it is a sell-cyident fact that
the prohlbitoly law is enforced and
] is 4n
Just SO eighteen hundred years ago,
when Christianity taught ''that they
be no gods which are made with
hands" and led the people to ''deS-
pise" and ''deatroy" pagan super
>tition which drought no small
gain unto the craftsmen" who lived
by it. They had grown rich and in.
iiuentiaI. and when Christianity en-
dangcred the trade BY which they
had their wealth, then, and not till
then, and for that reason only, "tuil
OF wrath, they got up sort of
/ 'PUbliC safety Associations, held 4
/ grand Convention SO full Of coniu-
sion that the ''toWn clerk" was call
ed in, who said they ought to be
quiet and to do nothing rashlN"-
very good advice to trade now. as
well as then-and 80 "tAiS days up
roar amounted to nothing; Paul
prevailed, the lucrative trade OF De
me.rius was 'despised," and Inc and
his i'll gotten gain vanished.
That the law is imperlcctI, forced
is to be c"poctcd. All prohibitory
legislation is imperfectll enforced.
/ Were it not SO, then the offence
would cease, and that 10 man cN-
poets. But it is an argument for
the repeal OF law that it ienot per
fectly enforced Then consistently
+. repeal all laws that are not perfectly
enforced, and how much of the sta
tutc book W0uM De left
The trade does not violate the
law. 1t accumuIates wealth and in
tluence, position III society. Ii place,
its sons III legislative halls, in tn,
jury box, it fees professional men, il
trighteus the timid, it caiolcs tn,
weak, il scducss the well-mcauing
it accommodates the selfish, it 81
IeEceS the sensuous, and imDudeut
y makes its own infamous triumph.
an argument for license, tor i!Hpuni
b ~.
Expectancy, not right, not prin
ciple, not morality, is ayowedly The
argument Of a license Law. Is Sew
England, is Massachusetts, prcpar
i cd to lower the standard of morality
to that of the Partisan capital, t
le.isl2tc in favor OF vice, to cucour
age h, lcgalizing it and mitigating
its shame audtcnors? Reduce yic,
| by lrsseninl it, punishment :
Woe - the man or the PEG
pie governed by 10 higher priacipl,
than eXpediency. opell-hound by
this SNren voice Of expectancy, Tho
Christian church with no5le enc
heroic exceptions, became dumb be
fore the giant slavery. Trade bow
cd TO its denominations, SenatcS gave
way to its threats, till the monster
had well nigh hurled all into one
common ruin. We have had a mo-
mcnt to catch breath, and after that
lrightiul lesson shall we again yield,
/ guiltilY yield, to fatal eNpcdipnry
No Let us stand by the right, and
thcn may we cry with good heart,
God save the Commonwealth.