Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-01-26

How IT Is REGARDED ABRoAD.-The
Rock Island Usion sustains the new liquor
law. We will not call il 9 temperance law.
for il is nothing Of the kind. A wise law
regulating the liquor traffic would meet with
our approval, and with the approval of good
men everywhere. But law that oversteps
our state constitution, that is . complete
bangle from beginning to end, that pays no
regard to the rights of individuals or to the
rights of property, shs, proposes to punish
the innocent for the acts of the guilty, that
10 calculated to be . mere engine of oppres-
siVn and mere shield of rssoality, that
promises to result in no good and in . null
siiude Of evils-we most heartily condemn.
The Rock Island Union supports this
law, and our republican representatives.,
Messrs. Morris and Johnston, labored for
II and voted for it. We therefore direct
their attention to the following remarks on
the subject extracted from the St. Louis
Democrat, one of the leading Republican
papers of the west.
But there 10 . very grave constitutional
question involved in THIS temperance legis-
lstion, although the Governor of Illinois
may not see IL. II is whether there 10, OF
is not, limit to the legislative function,
of q stale. We think there IL, and that the
sooner that limit is discovered and regard
ed the better it will be for the people. Il
is no more the right of the state to say
what or how much q man shall drink thar
what or how much q man shall eat, OF
what or how much clothing he shall wear
AS to eating and drinking, il may pppisi
J him for excuses which disturb the peace
and as to clothing it may punish him fo
indecent nAksdness. but its functions as q
ell such matters pertain to punishment only
and not TO prevention.
The Stale is not the guardian of eithe
public or private morals, aud has no RICH
30 take cognizance of either except to pun
I ish inVasions Of individual or communits
, peace or privilege. Ii cannot, if ii would
make men or communities either temper
ate or religious by Legislative enactment,
The temperance question, especially, j
Q one that has been tried and tempered wit
o Ia all parts Of the world, and always wit
, the same result--to make men worse il
stead of better. II il we're right to pas
l. the law now pending in the State Legislt
Iure, il would still, In the light of similf
= experiments elsewhere, be incl pedient, an
u even If it were expedientto pass it, il woul
Q not be right. Gentlemen pho sanction
j Nth their uotes tciH hare long account
ignorance aud folly TO settle pith their COZ
stituents rheH they return TO their homes
P trhich, let us hope. tciH MT be long.
10 Writing on the same subject, the Q1inC
IL Herald, democratic, says:
" Under our republican system much
u some people would like to have the cover
h. ment undertake the moral and religious t
torsbip of our population upon q compu
sorry plan, we can see no constitutional
in cense therefor. Other governments hav
ID from time to time, engaged in this liae
a enterprise, bat have never made suy alsrr
!, ing progress, and yei the fatal experien
y, of others has not deferred our lsu-mAke
Dr. from venIuring in the same direction.