The Lincoln County herald., 1872-05-16

Editor Herald: Having already. in
two preceding articles, considered two
important features of the saloon subject,
which has for some months been attract-
ing the attention OF our citizens, wish
now briefly to consider q Miri point in
the case, which shall be the last.
/. 1t will he remembered that / have
argued that the people arc the sources Of
power in this maiter-that they can or
cannot have these saloons in their mids.
just as they please, aud that whatever
guilt or criuiGaitv there is in drunken.
ness, or crime and blood he'd resulting
from drunkenness, attaches to the cause
producing them, and that we. the people,
are SO far particeps crimiais- accom-
plices in the guilt.
2. 1t will be remembered that we
next inquired whether the citizens, or the
people in general, had any right to crti-
else saloons as public institutions, or
arrai IN them before the publ ic rs Injurious
to the community, aud take active meas
ures to secure their removal. This part
of the argument was indeed a superauous
work; for if the people are the sources of
authority (and saloons can only be estab
Iishrd by e@e.,- voting, through petition,
for them, and for some specified individ.
ual to keep them) it would he absurd to
say that they bad no right to criticise or
control what they alone can establish
and control by the law. Their establish.
men. by tie people as elective instltu
tons, places the institution and their
functionar;cs subject TO the same review,
criticism and control with any other pub
lie institutions or fuuctonaries. And
the very fac: that license, by petition,
thus carrying the very names of the
voters up to the court for the in.
} spection Of their votes, (for n petition is
Just this and no more, and no less and
the additional fact that this must be done
every year, is proof that the law contem
plates the s,riccst scrutiny in this ma.
ter, and giving the people frequent Oppor
! tunity to protect themselves from any
2 abuse in this whole affair They must,
by law, elect their saloons and saloon
keepers every year. 1t is clear, there
fore, that the people have the power,
! being the source Of authority themselves,
e and that they have the ,ight to ac, Le-
, cause they are the voters.
3. The only question remaining to be
settled is one Of erpel,ency. Is it cxpe
= dent for Us to have saloons? Shall We
A continue or saloons?
IS And here in the discussion of this, the
q question comes up: Cut bono? for
whose good, for whose benefit? And
the answer must be: If for the beneti
e Of any one at all, it must be for the pub
d lie 1t is absurd for any one TO say
- that the public must vote to establish any
Office or institution merely for the h"ref
'e Of the one hold 'ng the Office. The Che
> holder is elected to serve the public, al,
e not for his own good. Who woul,
!. think of creating an ofi.e just for th,
benefit Of the one who was elected 10 G,
- it? Why if this were done, oae indi
'e vidual has as good right to expect pro
y vision to be thus made for him as an
al other, for all men are equal before on
- laws, and there would, therefore, have +,
-, be Offices and cmo.uments provided b.
~ the state for every citizen. Who believe
le such an absuriity? But will not in
lc suit the intelligence Of my readers b
!. arguing it further. All, therfore, that i
said about interfering with other men
business in not voting for the establish
G. irg Of saloons, is the sheerest moonshin
+, and absurdity. If a man is in a bu.incs
to that works badly for the good of the pub
q. lie, il or2ht to interfere with his business
10 for lac is to promote public good (Se
~ ~ constitution Of the u. S.
H. Equally absurd and erroneous is IL
ct cry that is raised about liberty, an
20 against restraining a man from doin
q. what he pleascs Ought men to be pu
under no resistant indeed? Why, wha
w. does law mean but restraint? The YER
he idea of law contemplates restraining me
i'll from injurins society, or their fellow
Is If we are to act upon the principle {
no restraint, then let Vi abolish all lav
and plunge at once into the chaos Of az
orchy and no government at all. n
be restraint Why men are restrained
e their trading, merchandising, &c., eve
49, down to the time Of the year when the
= can kill certain kinds Of games Beside
IN it is too late TO urge this in the case
at our saloons, for they have already reco.
ut nized tho law, regulating them, BY secu
be ing their license in the way the la
prescribes.
Il The only question that remains, there
D. fore, is: Does it benefit tho public? al
'rt they useful in community? And her
N. | throw down the challenge, and def
m any one to prove that this is so. An
" remember, all along, that challenge an
'H' one to contradict what | say. The co
Vs. umns of our papers, no doubt, will
raj gladly open to any one who wishes to II
or it. Does any one believe that saloor
- are any public benefit? Will any con
= munity say they are benefaction an
'o' point with pride to them2 Do comm,
tic mites erect monuments to commemora
their gratitude toward somc distinguish,
man Iocouee he has laid his fellow IN,