Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-07-30
The Temperance Question from German
Citizens Standpoint


| EDITOR COMMONWEALTH: -Ine
temperance agitation is becoming in
reality dangerous to individual free
| dom. The terrorism attending the
execution Of the excise-law in the
State Of New York, the absolute pro
hibition of all liquor~sales in Massa :
chusetts, and several other more or
less prohibitive legislative acts, will
soon complete their tour through the
different States of the Union More
over, it cannot be denied that the ma
jority of the Republican party is in
fected with this mania ayl even
Wendell Phillips, the most enlighten>
ed of radicals, is seized with this
movement.
The German Republican Central
Committee in New York has there
fore resolved to separate itself from
the organization Of the Republican
party in State and local elections
The Westdche Post, edited by Carl
Schurz, likewise advises the Germans
to bid farewell to the Republican par
ty in State and local elections; how>
ever III national elections again to
stand firm to the Republican party,
whose imperative duty it is to secure
those benefits which it obtained out
of the war for the suppression Of the
rebellion fought by this party in
the interest OF universal liberty and
equality. This admonition can be-
come fatal to the Republican organi-
cation; for when division occurs in
the Republican party III State cleo
tons, whore portion of that party
conlronts il rs an enemy, one cannot
we'll in national elections tlatcrnize
with that enemy again. The future
will teach this.
consider the temperance associaN
tons benevolent clement of culture
when they contine themselves within
the bounds Of moral activity; but
when they endeavor to usurp theleg
islative power Of the State, and con
vert their moral sphere into q legal
one, and enact laws of coercion and
prohibition against all persons, as if
all human beings were embryo
drunkards, then | deem it high time
to counteract them with organized
power. The question involved is a
principle, the most important right Of
the individual, viz, the right Of indi,
vidual freedom; and that right | es-
TEEN as highly as national freedom;
50 that in this respectI can find no dis
tinction between State and national
elections If the Republican party
proves itself an enemy to individual
freedom, then as an enemy, | oppose
that party in every election campaign.
The Americans, even amongst the
/ educated, know not the limits be-
tween morality and right; they iden-
/ tify both take morality for right, and
right for morality. But it is the right
of every individual, in whatever man
ner or form he chooses, to do and act
without restraint, and to prove his
individual freedom by its use and
enjoyment. The only barrier is this
that one, in the exercise of his rights
shall not violate or disturb the indi>
vidual rights Of another Correlative
to my individual right stands the OBJ
legation Of all to respect my right,
and not to intrude or encroach within
the province of my right, or within
the sphere Of my individual freedom.
Fhe enjoyment Of food or drink, and
of Sunday amusement is right of
the individual, in the exercise of
which | neither iniure nor restrict
any one and should any one in con-
sequence Of this enjoyment wrong
another, only this one case of trans
erosion is punishable by law; but
never on account Of this single Of
fence can we lay down the irrational
theory Of prevention-that tie right
of all individuals to their individual
freedom shall he abolished and de-
Stroyed For when the exercise OF
individual freedom is suffered to be
restrained by law in one instance, ii
is a logical consequence that it like
wise can be done in all different ca
ses Of individual rights As an Illus
tration OF this, you may take the right
ofopinion, of conscience and of relig-
ious freedom, rs individual rights in
each Of which cases you would also be
entitled to suppress these rights, in
the same manner rs Catholicism con
sldercd and presented all others as
herctics even by law.
If the temperance associations re-
main within the bounds of their moral
/ sphere, and impress upon the people
in rational manner, moral senti-
ments, and educate q moral national
character, through free speech. free
press and conventions, then they are,
whether they preach moderation or
total abstinence, fully authorized
Only abiding to great improve
ments of agriculture and commerce
by the production Of vines, barley,
etc, will finally state that stimu-
lants. are, in many cases, necessary