The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1874-06-18
I. T. NJ.

| To The Editor Of the Standard:
A few days since addressed the Temperance
League of this place a note, stating that the
speakers at their meetings placed the liquor
dealers and drinkers, well many other
| persons, in false position before the public,
/ and that desired an opportunity b-fore their
League to correct the erroneous views taught
and entertained by the League I have no reply
| from the officers of the League, but notice an
| article in your paper giving the reasons why
| the League declined to hear me upon the sub
ject mentioned in my note. 1 now propose,
through your columns, to briefly offer my
views upon the subject under consideration.
In the first place, it will not be denied that the
| idea is entertained by the League that all
| liquor dealers robbers and classed among
| thieves and assassins, and that all liquor
drinkers are accomplices in what they term
| crime and misdemeanors. The League goes
still further and declares by its speakers that
all persons who are not in favor of the present
movement called the crusade against the liquor
dealers, are oponents to the cause of temper
ance. These are grave charges, and demand a
\ refutation, if the facts and circumstances are
not sufficient to prove them true.
Now are all men engaged in the liquor busi-
ness guilty of theft and robbery? Stealing
means taking of goods without the knowledge
the owner. Robbery means the taking of goods
without the consent of the owner. Therefore,
edge ane consent is not crime. but a legiti-
mate transaction. 1t does not change the
principle, what the money is paid for; it may
be coffee, tea, or whisky, and yet the transac-
ton fair and honest. Now there are thousands
of dealers in spirituous liquors who would not
sell single drop to any individual where he
knew or supposed that any harm would arise
from it, But you argue that harm may arise
from the sale of it. The argument would be
the same that harm may arise from the sale of
coffee, arsenic or powder. There must be some
evil intent before crime can be committed.
Therefore the seller of spirituous liquors, with
out knowing or intending the same to do
harm, is engaged in a legitimate business, and
the fanatics who declare him to be thief or
robber are destitute of good common sense, or
willfully and maliciously slandcr those whom
they know to be honorable, honest and upright
citizens. This point being settled, then, are all
men who drink or use spirituous liquors as
beverage guilty of crime, or aiders and abettors
in misdemeanors? answer they are not, and
in proof point to the innumerable host found
in this community, and every other oonmu-
nifty, of honest and respectable citizens, who
would scorn the idea of doing a dishonorable
act, and who are ready and willing to assist in
any enterprise to build up the communities in
which they live, mentally, morally and fnan-
cially, and yet these same individuals habit
out any damage to themselves or anybody else.
1 ash, then, are these men, together with anoth-
er large class of citizens, who are not in the
habit of using spirits, but who believe in the
lGod-given rights of personal liberty, which
allows every individual to worship God accord
ing to the dictates of his conscience, and to eat
and drink and wear whatsoever he will, to be
classed as thieves and outlaws, because they
will not join an infatuated crusade of women
|
ances at the present, is not to do away with
the evils resulting from the trafic in intoxi-
eating drinks, but to build up church oligar-
chy, and make it paramount to our civil form
of government.
Having stated these facts, believe that the
evils growing out ofthe sale and use of spirit
uous liquors can best be regulated by well
regulated license system, regulating and re-
stricting the traffic therein. This license sys-
tenn should be of the character to restrain the
evil by making, each individual, the seller and
drinker, responsible for all damages arising
from the sale and drinking of the same
The proof ofdamages should be regulated by
| the common law, as all other damages are, q
A license system of this character in the first
place would bring revenue to the State
| 1t would make each individual responsible
for his own ACTS, and not destroy his right to
take a drink when he pleased OF wished SO to
1
that class of citizens who uphold law and order
but at the same time believe in personal nber-
| ties and rights.
| 1t would do away with the fanatica1 idea of
prohibition, and unite all good citizens in an
effort to do away with drunkenness, But more,
1t would stop this present crusade, which if
not checked will destroy the influence of the
church, and destroy all Godliness, by making
| the church political tool to build up a broken
| Tvbr
are official plunder and eneroaehments upon
the rights of the citizen. s
And now word to the so-called Temperance
League of this place. gave you good advice
when you frst started ont, by admonishing
you to use the spiritual weapon of PRAYER and
persuasion independent of law, force, notifies
or party. But you have chosen different
course, and united your fortunes and success to
q political party, whose stealings and plunder-
ings under the saise ef seipts, are a stencil to
every honest individual in the land. You as
sumo that it is your duty to enforce the law
against the liquor dealer, but at the same time
you tolerate and make men your equals and
leaders who not only violate the civil law, but
notoriously violate tbs Llgral lag given to man
= amidst the the thunderings and lightnings OF
Mount Sinai you have cast your lots among
sIanderers, and become the prosecutors of honest
and respectable men, and failure is written on
your every naoyement. Then bow your heads
in shame, and deny tEe fEeedem of discussion
in your League, in order that your allies may
cover up their heinous crimes, and carry into