Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-24
sumpsuary Laws.

The Radicals of New England nave Deen
the prolific source of the most impudent1
meddlesome and tyrannical laws reguiat-
ing the indulgence of mans appetite tnat
the world has ever known All manklno
must submit to their notions of living, eat
ing and drinking, as well as adopt tnelr
modes of thinking and their political opin-
ions, on penalty of abuse, defamation ana
osaacism, and such further infections as
their inquisitoriaI and prosecuting spirit
NAV prescribe. Just at this time they nave
a peck of trouble on their hands in forcing
down the throats of the people of Massa-
chusetss their exceedingly. dry and husky
prohibtory liquor law, those threats de-
manding something more moist, aud SEM
ingly with good chance of getting it'll
The Connecticut Radicals, not content
with impertinently meddling with the
fancies of the people for this or
that beverage, have gone further, and
at the last session of the Legislature intro
duced bill prohibiting, under heavy penal
ties, the growth, use, manufacture or sale
of tobacco. One of the provisions of the
bill declares that clergymen, convicted un-
der the act, shall DE incapacitated for the
discharge of public functions, and the mar
riages solemnized by such clergymen shall
be null and void! There's Radicalism for
you'll Who. says that we have passed by
the days of Connecticut "Blue Laws =
This bill did not pass. 1t goes over until
the next session. In the meantime, let. all
the swains and damsels in Connecticut,
who mediate matrimony, institute an in
quiry into the habits of the clerical breth
rem of the State, and learn in whose gar
ments or breath is the scent of tobacco.
The use of that Virginia plant oper-
ates more fatally than a Pope's bull
or military order upon clergyman-it
deprives him of the authority to unite in
the bonds of wedlock two tender hearts
that beat as one.
We might surmise that the Connecticut
Radicals and General POPE were bred at the
same breast. PORE would bribe editors to
support Radicalism by official patronage,
and Connecticut Radicals would turn mar
riage fees into clerical purses as consid-
Grafton for abjuring the use of the tweed"
Michigan, Radical to the backbone, adds
herself to Massachusetts and Connecticut as
an ally in this war upon the right OF Ghe
people to determine for themselves what
and in what manner they will drink. But
Michigan seeks to go further than her sis
ter States. She has a Constitutional Con-
vention in session which is overwhelmingly
Radical, and those blessed apostles of Glib
erty" have sought to enforce their own pc
culiar views concerning temperance upon
all the inhabitants of the State, by embody-
ing them in a provision which is to have
the force of permanent constitutional law
not subject to legislative change or the con-
troll of the representative of the people,
They declare: 81
1.-The Legislature shall not pass any act
authorizing the grant of license Tor the sale
OF ardent spirits or Intoxicating liquors,
but shall by law prohibit the sale of the
same as a beverage"
This provision was adopted by vote of
55, of whom SO are Radicals. 1t is to be
submitted separately to the people for their
action.
Radicals learn nothing from experience.
They see under their very eyes proof that
such sumptuary laws result in no good,
cannot be effectually enforced, and breed a
spirit of insubordination to government
But their intolerance and bigotry-their
disposition to assert an intellectual and
moral domination and despotism over the
community, will take no lesson of practi-
cal wisdom from the experience which has
demonstrated the futility of all such laws.
Their own pretended principles of in
dividual freedom and popular liberty i'm
pose upon them no restraints in enforcing
their own opinions and measures upon 9TH
ers. They constitute in all things grind
ing despotism, and their acts are amockery
of the fundamental painciples of liberty.
The system which undertakes to regulate
the food or drink of the community, upon
the pretext of securing the good of that
community, carries in it a warrant ofequal
authority to determine for man his reli-
gious belief and prescribe for him his eccle-
siastical associations. The party of ''mor-
al ideas" of conscience" and "God and
humanity" does in fact assert for it
self, in many practical ways, the authori-
ty to regulate human opinion. 1t Furnishes
the refractory members of its own party
when they avow Independent views by the
most relentless vindictive abuse. Cover
nor ANDREWS, of Massachusetts, earnestly
opposed the prohibitory legislation of that
State, and his Radical associates assailed
and DETAINED him as ferociously as ever
they did ''Copperhead" or rebel. Genu-
inee freedom of action or of thought and
speech they do not advocate by precept or
by example, but simply and only liberty to
act, and think and speak as the Radical
fanatics ordain.
1t is curious, however, to notice that
these "God and humanity" pretenders, who
would crowd temperance upon the people
as matter of conscience and morality,
will abandon what they call ''principle''
for party gain.
The Radicals of the Michigan Conven-
tion, fearful of losing NEGRO Suffrage u
if they coupled with it in the Constitution
prohibition" concluded to submit the
latter separately. They prove themselves
when occasion demands, as ready to barter
what they call conscience and "princi.
pie" for victory as the most ungodly
party hacks. To insure Negro Suffrage
they propose to give the opponents o.
sumptuary laws chance to slaughter
their grand "mora]" measure of " tenn
perance," and do defiance to a measure de-
manded by conscience and religion
They will, if they can, "bribe" men tc
vote for enfranehising the ignorant and de-
graded, by leaving them free to vote a:
they please -unon- questions meat and
drink. But the spirit of the party canno
be disguised. 1t is one of intolerance ant
tyranny, and OF unprincipled intrigue and