The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1873-07-22

to do just what he pleases, regardless o.
the rights of others.
The more marked instance Of this kind
is found, perhaps, in the regulation OF
the liquor traffic, the great sin of onr
nation, the greatest and most powerful
element for evil known to the world =
You may talk of Saperstition,o of Infidel-
ity, of Polygamy, Heathenism in all its
phases, of aristocracies, of moneyed
monopolies, and in fact all other powers
for evil, but this one of 1ntemperance,
of all others,in my judgment, is the more
potent for evil, and to day is exertine
more power for evil in this country, than
all else combined. Look around you,
fellow citizens. and hnhald his deyasta-
ting and danhing schemes sntrs s,ssetcl
seriously and weep for your country's
welfare, and arouse to noble action fol
your country's good.
Go to the statiatics of the country and
read the facts for yourselves, and find in
round numberss sixty thousand of the
|country's citizens, of that class, too, who
would be (if it w]are not for this traffic,
among the best citizens of our country
Lawyers, lawmakers; doctors, church
men and day-laborers compose the mul
titude who are going to premature grave;
yearly. That eighty per cent Of al
crimes committed in cur land, that fifty
Iper cent Of all police and prison expen.
ses are the legitimate outgrowth of this
traffic in ardent spirits.
And still more sorrowful picture, Il
possible, is to be seen in the great food
ofltears that are shed by fathers, moth
er3, wives, brothers, sisters, sons and
daughters. all over our land. Who could
measure them? And then look at the
consequent misery unutterable with mul,
titudes of bleeding hearts all around US.
Look, fellow-citizens, upon such pictures
as these, join the weeping throng, and
mourn for your country's woe.
I am glad. to know that this country
has her sympathizers, and that there is 8
noble army Of country lovers, Of liberty
lovers, of men and women, whose phi
lanthropic hearts are beginning to burn
with the fiery zeal of enthusiasm. oyel
the temperance question; who, in my
judgment, are almost the only hope oI
this country's final victory over thi;
greatest demoralizer and slave making
power. What ardor-loving, what OPP
preston hating citizen would hesitate
to join them in their noble efforts te
crush this widening, deepening, hot,con
suming tide, that, demon like, is swal
lowing up young and d,rich and poor
soul, body and spirit, into everlastiD:
misery and woe2
/ never did believe that, according te
the Declaration of American Independ
ence, which is but the law of our crea
ton, one man had right to enslave Of
abuse another land could feel the pulls,
of q great majority of the people Of this
t'rfsssoiT'tv'dsy,f am very sure they lwoeit
beat in sympathetic unison with MY oB,
on this obsolete question of slavery
Yet in the subject now before US (tht
liquor traffic, we have principle NOV
ing upon us that binds the very natioI
itself down by its iron fetters to sys
tenn of slavery the worst known to earth
And when We apply to this subject tb'
principles of our "declaration," togethe
with the laws regulating it, we find tina
from the very time the idea is conceivet
of the manufacture of ardent spirits, o,
down until we have counted every stel
taken, n,until the drunkard's soul is launch
ed in hell there is most positive ant
palpable violation Of these principles
For no man has a right to conceiv,
(much less to harbor) a thought that
when carried out, will degrade and en-
slave. a man in this life, and finally damn
him in eternity. 1t seems to me that thi
is but legitimate deduction from th,
premises.
But just at this point let me say tha
the liquor vender makes wrong appli
cation of principle, and the law-make
comes to his aid and joins him in saying
"Ths is free country, and man has
right to manufacture and sell what h
pleases, providing he can find willin.
purchasers, and the law has no right t
interfere. ! only make the whisky ant
offer it for sale, / compel no one to buy
or drink it; the drunlIard is himself t
blaine, and / am innocent of all crime.
This system of reasoning is but th,
every dav fallacy of manufacturer, ven
dor, auG law-maker Most sagaciou
doctors! Most profound reasonersl-
How convincing your argument! How
profound your logic! From what insti
tuition of learning have you come forth
How shall we account for such things
This is the way do it Your GRAY
i ing appetite for the profits of the trait,
has prompted you to make this vile ap
Iplication of principle, and then you low,
to become yourselves the subject of tht
traffic,n mo matter at what expense to you
selves and nei lhbors. How inconsisten
are our lawmakers. In their Legislation
they say man mnst be hung if he give,
poison in doses large enough to kill :
man outright, no matter what his appe
tite; but they can't prohibit the manu-
facture and sale of that by the use o
which thousands of our race are dyins
daily, leaving many thousands more de
pendent, delenseless and wretchcd NOR
tails, to roam the worlds dark wilderness
through alone, surrounded bv a conse
quently depraved and heartless world
They would punish man for poisonih:
your COW or yonr horse, but they woult
lessen the crime (and even legalize it,
when man wishes to murder, by th,
same means. themselves and children. -
They say a man shall be hung if he
shoots and kills, but they will even winl
at the man who would administer poisor
in such a way as to torture mans lif
out of him inch by inch, just because i
takes little longer to perpetrate tn
deed. They say man is criminal wht
would stand by and see man commi
suicide by shooting, ,and does not proven
it if he can; and yet they will enact law
mockingly regulating, yet really legaliz
ipg,a traffic by which thousands are com
hitting suicide under their own observa
ton, they themselves not unfrequentl
becoming the victims.
No, my fellow-citizens, it is high tim
such lawmakers were superseded b,
brave men, honest men. who will not thu
wantonly misapply your true principles
The true Interpretation of the principle