The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-08-14
On LegiaIatin& for the Enforce
InenG OF EemPcraDce.

y Gerrett Smith has addressed q lor
4 letter to the " gentlemen who compose
the recent two State Temperance Coz
a ventions at Albany" in which he urg,
4 strongly against legislating for the enforc,
= ment of temperance, and protests again:
governmental interference of all kind;
= After speaking of the evils of intempel
3 ance, MIR. Smith says:
q Since, then, alcohol Is not necessary
!. nor to any extent useful IS beverage
r and since large share of the people ar
much harmed by it, and no small shar
/ ruined -bv il, how plain it is that ever,
, one should feel bound to abstain from
, as a beverage His personal safety Is
very urgent consideration to this end
The contribution of his example to tbs
safety of others he should feel to be an
other, if not, indeed, more urgent one.
x x Here, then, in what L have said,
is that which every man owes to the cause
of temperance. He should discharge this
duty, and do what he can to persuade
others to discharge it. Thus far there is
probably no disagreement between US.
But when l add that this comprises his
whole duty to this great cause, you dis
sent from me- You hold that he is bound
to endeavOr to draw Government into the
aid of it, while /, on the contrary, hold
that Government is not to identity itself
with the temperance reform, nor with any
other moral reform Civil government
| is by far the most important of earthly
institutions; and it is vital to all valuable
interests that it be kept unperverted and
confined to its legitimate sphere. Instead
of being allowed to trench upon some in
terests for the benefit of others, it should
remain the common and impartial pro-
tector of them all. 1t must uphold, not
alone the rights of the collective people,
but the rights of the individual also and
must not be allowed to invade his rights
even under the most plausible pleas and
strongest assurances Of advancing the
public good.
The province Of government is very far
from being commensurate with that of
moral influence. The protection of per- |
son and property is, as alladmit, its chief
work and | would that all might admit |
that it is its only work. More, this is not |
unlimited protcetion-but protection only !
from such evils as government alone can |
protect from, and as society could not
long continue to exist unless protected
from. Other and cOntrollable evils must
remain to be dealt with by moral inau-
ence instead of governmental coercion.
In many dwelling there is gambler,
and in many dwelling there is lewdness.
But government must not undertake to
purge them of these evils. Society could
not, however, withstand the tide of cor
ruptiOn, were government to allow the
vile to multiply, at pleasure, public gam
bling hells and public houses of prostitu-
ton. SO, too, In many private house
are alcoholic beverages. Nevertheless,
government must not search for them.
Society can maintain itself against this
amentable usuage of home drinking {
But it is threatened with utter destruction I
BY the growing evil of such beverages in
hotels, and the saloons and other dram '
selling places. New York reels from the
ncessant blows from her ten thousand IL
,ensed and unlicensed drunkard manufac- {
ories. Any material addition to their ]
number, or any occasion which should &
ire them with fresh inspiration from I
lell, might serve to engulf the city i'll the t
Wild waves of anarchy and ruin. New '
York staggers under the load of fraudu- t
emily contracted debts, but she staggers
ar worse under her dramshop demorali- a
alton. Indeed, this load of debt has r
ome mainly from this decentralization. 5
: 4 !: The friends of temperance are s
the organization of po- t
itical temperance party. They will tail Il
0 gather a considerable party. But they r
viii not need an independent political L
'arty, if they shall consent to confne their d
'olitical war to the dramshop- A call d
pom the existing political parties, not i'll C
he alarming name of temperance, but Il
4 the quiet and accepted name of pro- s.
that protection which is due C
rom Government to every man, woman, W
nd child-to shut up the satanic dram II
hop, would not be in void, if backed up q
y the undivided temperance host. The J
republican party and the Democratic Il
arty would rival each other in their Il
thickness to respond to this call. Then h
own would go the dram-shop, that Glib 81
altar of intemperance, and the way be b
aus prepared for completing by moral b
gencies the work of temperance. Efcc- p
lally, though but incidentally to its p
orking for protection of person and pro- fl
erty, will Government then open the cl
ay in which the friends of temperance W
IN march on to victory. If the existing ly
arties should refuse to adopt this princ W
lie of protection, then, by all that is just p:
nd necessary, let there be no delay in III
-ganizing an independent party-for the is
0vernmont that is unfaithfuI to this til
rinciple is no government. CT