Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1871-01-20

THE FIRST THING IN ORDER.
That we have upon the statute book.
Of Ohio laws amply sufficient, if strictly
enforced. to prohibit, suppress and
wholly eradicate the traffic in intoxi.
eating liquors, is a proposition which
viii scarcely be denied by any well
informed and candid person. The law
doubtless has imperfections, but thai
these are not such as need in any case
defeat its enforcement or vitiate its eff
cheney, is proven by experience. Thai
a vigorous enforcement does actually
make the law prohibitory in some towns
of the State raises a strong presumption
that it may imPart to it an equal effeci
in all towns, while common sense as
well as common observation teaches
that no law, however stringent, against
any ofense however fragrant. is of any
effect anywhere as long as men may
violate its provisions with impunity.
1t may. without dispute, be also af-
frmed that no law has yet been devised
which viii carry into effect its own pro-
provisions. Self-enforcing statutes have
not as yet been reached by the alchemies
Of legislation. The vital force of any
law is public opinion. No legislation
can stand a great while against it, or be
Of any force without it. This is especi-
ally true of laws which regulate or in
any way interfere with individual in
dulgences. As long as public opinion
sanctions or tolerates them the law can
not prohibit them. Whenever and
wherever public opinion frowns upon
and condemns them the law against
them viii be enforced just in proportion
to the strength of that opinion. It is
public opinion, then. and not the law
which does the real work of reform.
Men cannot be reformed by virtue Of
human statutes. A fountain cannot be
purer than its source, and the fountains
of legislation are not always of the pur-
est, by any means. Besides, it is the
business of the law to compel, not to
persuade, and men are not reformed by
compulsion Reform is of the heart and
that is just where public opinion touches.
There is no human being being so bad
as to be utterly regardless of the opinion
of his fellows. He may yield to its sub
tie but restraining influence even while
himself unconscious that he regards
it. There is no evil, social or political,
so strongly Intrenched that public opin-
ion may not exterminate it; there is
none so feeble that it may not become
resistless if public opinion will foster and
encourage it.
The application of these plain propo-
sitions to the policy of temperance re-
form is obvious. The most, the onZy ef-
feetive way to fight the liquor traffic and
its resulting evils is to create public opin-
ion against them. And yet, we regret
to say, this obvious truism seems to be
entirely overlooked by many who are
anxious to lead the temperance senti-
ment of the day. Instead of striking
at liquor sellers they deliver their blows
upon the known friends of temperance.
The efforts they ought to put forth in
trying to save drunkards are wasted in a
fruitless scramble for office Instead of
seeking to combine the feelings and ef-
forts of all classes against the common
enemy. they exert themselves with in
temperate zeal to whip the rest of man
kind into subservience to some hobby
of their own. In this way dissensions
are created among the friends of the
cause which ALLEVIATE many from it, and
over which its enemies laugh with ex-
ultation.
We do not say that these things may
not be done with the best of motives.
Possibly they are. But their pernicious
results have been felt and are being real
lied. Usually we have had several pub
lie meetings and addresses in behalf of
temperance during the winter. This
winter, so far, there has not been one.
IntemPerance in this community is on
the increase, and now is the time for
those who make especial profession of
temperance zeal to exert it in practical
way. NlozO is the accepted time. 1t is
not necessary to wait until the next po-
itical canvass.