The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-02-03
LegisIarion Run Mad.

In another part of our paper we publish
a bill prohibiting the sale or g!ft of any
spirituous liquors, wine, or cid =, on cleo
tion day. which passed the lower branch
of the Legislature last week. This act,
in It's peculiar phrasellrgy and in its s,u~
pid attempt at moral reform, stands very
nearly on an equality with The fanatical .
blue laws of Connecticut. The same (
spirit aninates both, and AS the latter are |
now only remembered to be laughed at,
SO will the former, if it should become a
law, be the wonder and sport of future
generations. 1t is difficult to conceive
what motive could have operated npon
our "Iearncd The bats" at Harrisburg, to
induce them to enact such law in the
shape in which it is presented. 1t is pre-
cisey such childish and trihing legislation
as this that brings the temperance move
ment into unbonnded ridicuie and con-
tempt. The object aimed at is laudab!e
one and we approve it. No good citizen
will object 10 legal prohibition Of the
sale oil Intoxicating drinks on the day of
| an election. But why did the author of
! the bull, Ill his ,ntemperate zeal in behalf
/ OF temperance, renders The whole act ri>
/ diculOus by introducing into it the sale or
/ gift of c.tlCr as a drink to be prohibited by
fine and imprisonment With eQual pro-
priety might the sale or giving away Of a
bottle OF sarsapariIa or ginger pop be
made high criminal offence In enact
Ing law Of this character, it is an insult
to the intelligence of the people to make a
man who gives his friend IA glass of harm-
less cider on an election day equally gull
ty with the proprietor of low doggery
who deals out, al L6ttta, poisonous, riot
Gus and fighting rot gut whisky
Such Legislation defeats itself, and is
disgraceful to all who are connected with
it. Why not legislate like men Of cons
mon sense and sound judgment, and not
like set of wayward and thoughtless
children ? 1t is an old saying, that one
cannot gather grapes off thorns nor figs of
thistles, and if the imbeci!ity of the pres
ent House Of Representatives is not vastly
anderrated by competent judges, the pas
sage of liquor law such as the one iG
hand is fully up 10 lis mental capacity.
In point OF weasSess and utter incompe-
tency 10 perforo the duties set before it,
the present House by common consent has
t never had its equal. None but itself could
be its own parallel. In the emphatic Ian
, guage of the Harrisburg Patriot, ''Never
since the first rain ran off the roof of the
Capitol, has a body SO feeble, so incom
. petent and corrupt, been assembled with
in its walls Such is a picture of the
: lncompetency of the men elected by "lht
: party of great moral ideas TO enact law:
Tor the benefit of the people and 10 pro
= mote the best interests of The State. Ii
, view of such state of affairs. it is il
order TO exclaim, in the solemn and i'm
r ploring language of the Court crier, sc oC
r save the Commonwealth"
Here is the proposed law to which W.
t have referred 1t is entitled An Act, tC
: prevent the sale of Intoxicating liquors OF
: election day:
SECTION l. Be II enacted By the Senate anc
/ House Of Representatives Of the Common
! tceaM IF Pennsylvania in General IsSem
: big met. and rs here6y enacted by auLFOyih
, Of lie same, That from and alter The passag,
o! this act it shall not be lawful for AL,
person IN this commonwealth, whether Ii
Censed or unlicensed. to buy. sell or give
, away to be used drink. any spilituou
3 or malt liquors. wine or cider, or anv sub
: stauce containing alcohol, on any mart q
I any day set apart for any general or an,
special election. by tie citizens in and within
any precrct, ward, township. county q
B, other election district or division in or with
in the commonwealth.
SEC ?. Any person violating any Of th
e provisions of the ffst section of this act shal
] ne guilty of a misjemeahor. and on cOnvic
tion thereof shall be subject to Imprisonment
IN the Jail OF the proper county for term o
not more than one hundred days, and in adj
dliion to the above shall also he subject tn
e fine of five hundred dollars and costs. at tb
discretion of the count.
D On the final passage of tue bill the vot
: was as follows:
YEAs-Messrs Albright, Balentine Beard
: slice. Black. Bomberger. Brwman, Brigh
: Brcckway, BruugeS, Buck. Coorer, Lau,els
1 Dartt. Dclacy, D"Tgherty, Ely. Feeger
Fox. GalcheIl. GiIfiIian. Gleason, GRAY
Greenwalt, Griffiths Guss Hancock, HEN
r RY, Hewitt. i!uusecker. Keech. Labar. La
mon. Lane. Lawsee. Letherman, Lsveripg
lusk, MJunkin. M'Mu'lin. Mahon Mickey
= MIlrr. Mitchell. OF NJ fin. Mitchell of Tio
ga, Moore, Mnrford New baker. Noves, Pei
, sert. Porter. Potts. Przer. Qngley. r ger
p of Eir. Rogers Of NJ Eean Sanuer. Schim
iukey. Shortt. Snu'er. Smith Of PHILADELPHIA
Starr, S'rock, Unler. White. Wilcox. vii
Iiams. Wilson. and Elliot, speat er-G8
; NAYS-MeSsrs. Beach BurkhnlGer, Con
I rad. Darrah, Edwards, Feuer. Harvey. Kei
e fer, King knons. Latta. Lawson, MIG lwan
5 Magee. Msek. Morris. Pursell r ,ss. Sample
IaylOr and WpOleyer-2I