Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-10-10

right and duty of Government to promote the moral
and material welfare of the State BY encouraging
system Of common schools, and diffusion of general
Enoyedge to secure these ends On the same princi-
ple and o like reason it believes and in its platform
explicitly declares 1t to be the right and duty OF the
State to employ the extent of its constitutional powers
in the restraint Of inemperance and its causes which
II regards inmica alike to intelligence and virtue
and whatever else promotes the moral and material
The Democratic party, protesting the promotion of
Temperance to be its policy and object hoists the
banner of license so recently stricken down, and
offers for mode of securing this end give the
ton of law and the protection of the Constitution
the cause whence intemperanee springs. Defeated in
the recent trial Of strength license demands second
expression Of popular opinion wherein it will have
the advantage of political ties and afhnites from
which to draw support that it could not otherwise
ceiye The success Of the Democratic ticket will be
interpreted such expression to which party
machinery party cohesion, and the party lash, is to
be employed. Temperance men should understand
and appreciate the significance and importance Of this
ISSUE and not allow this political strategy of license
ensnare them into giving favorable expression by
voting for the men who now carrying its banner
in the Republican platform, I may be pardoned for
saying word about it. 1t is as it was intended to
expression in favor of not only the
right the duty of society and the State to restrain
intempersnee and the causes OF intem-
perance, to the extent and by the rational en-
pOyment OF whatever powers the Constitution coners
IbeHeye this to be right. The impoverishment of
home the soualor and wretchedness of deStitutop the
UII I,iy IN ~ youth the brntaIizng of manbocd the
heart-bleedings Of lial parental and connubial an
guish are effects of nemperance which society has the
right 10 avert 10 the extent Of its legitimate powers
This involves interference with individual liberty
So use your not to injure another is the great
maxim of law. have no right to furnish weapons,
having reason suppose they will be used for suicide
have no right to furnish poison, having
pect it will be used for seldestruetion. On the
principle 1 am denied the right Of furnishing the
means Of impoverishing home infieting destit1tion
corrupting youth, brutalizing manhood, to which
sei-desr1etion is often to be preferred. TO prevent
me from doing so but prevents me from injuring an
other; interferes with no legitimate liberty.
The limit of Constitutional power has never been
judicially determined. Where it will be fixed do
presume say. The present laws have been held
constitutional. Others more efficient no doubt would
be- If the instrument be properly interpreted But
the champions Of free traffic get possession OF the
is of the utmost importance, therefore, that be
maintained in judicial position, who will decide what
personal appetes would have them. But surely none
are so visionary think that the present ConsttC
tion any that ever may be framed will assume to
interfere with control the right OF the citizen to use
Whatever beverage to him may seem good, so long
he does no injury thereby to himself others. His
limbs free but not TO infict injury. His tongue
is free but not to defame. His appetite is free but
not to hurt or nuisance to himself or his neigh
bor In case of wrongful society has the right to
interfere not otherwise. This is Legitimate liberty.
To the extent Of restraining such injury and
prohibiting others from furnishing the means to IN
hict it, the law may rightfullY interfere.
It is objected that this is sumptuary legislation.
Not So unless the restraint Of poisons the prohibition
of unEhoesome food the inhibition of opates the
thousand laws against other agencies Of human de-
struction or decay be classified as sumptuary. But
suppose it Isl then not license law sumptuary Its
proessed purpose declared by its advocates is to re-
strain the quantity and regulate the quality of ntoxi
eants; to designate those who shall engage in the traf
c the Glasses of persons to whom they shall be Sold
in word TO limit such traffic and diminish intemper
aace by sheer force of strngency.
license law therefore is in the highest sense sumpt
uary, if laws operating upon traffic can be SO re-
garded But they can not.
Sumptuary laws are limited in their operation to the
person whose individual indulgence enjoyment is
intended to be restrained; not because the indulgence
or enjoyment may be injurious to him, but because Of
whatever purpose or whim may influence the author
of the sumptuary ediet.
Legislation in restraint ofintemperanee is therefore,
in sumptuary is directed against what Is
regarded injury and therefore evil, not only
to the individual, but to society and the State.
The existing laws against lntemperance designed
for the protection of society, in precisely the same
sense laws against personal assaults libel or other
ohense The question is, shall they be maintained
and made efficient, as time and experience may
suggest2 shall they be substituted by license law
of which the Democratic party constitutes itself
the champion and standard bearer? The Republican
party favors the first proposition, and in this is the
The defense of alcohol is not the first unholy cause
which the Democratic party has championed: pOssi-
bly, its effort may meet kindred fate.
Countless millions Of capital it is urged are invested
in the traffic, which must be lost TO its proprieors
the markets OF the State be closed TO it, if the liberty
Of desolating homes aud destroying manhood be de-
MED; If the bulwark Of the Constitution do not make
its operation and tenure secure.
1t is the old argument of the slave power. Two
thousand millions in slaves must be made secure; sDd
Democracy rushed to its championship, gave it the
fugatiye slave law tore down the Missouri compromise
and opened the Dred Scott decision. The champions
of the liquor traffic would do well to remember the
esson Ohio is not prepared to accede to its demands
tear down existing legislation, and frame for it fugitive
slave laws.
Our prohibition friends may not aid Us in this
struggle They prefer to fight alone Poundtex and
Mucklewrath refused to unite with the of Be
hal against a common foe. Harranguing their fol-
lowers Boutwell, bridge to go into the battle apar
the Duke Of Monmouth swept down and extinguished
their forces in detail Ours to the extent of constu
tional power is common cause with them. Because
there individual Republicans not concurrng with
either, they prefer the triumph of the
enemy to dividing the honor of Joint victory.
The bulls in the fable, though having differ
between them by uniting their strength, kept
the lion at bay Separating they fell easy prey 10
the king Of the forest Do prohibitonists by separa
ting expect other fate at the hands of King Alcohol
They may by indirection aid in sweeping away ex-
isting laws they may the enactment Of oppos
ing and vicious laws instead they may surrender the
legislative judicial, and police powers Of the State to
adverse hands, they may postpone the triumph of Vir
and sobriety, with the expectation that the reac
ton of future generations will carry their to
higher pitch We prefer its realization in degree
by the children of the present Will they, then,
cept the highest good which is possible? Or will they
continue to stand aloof thanking God they are not
publicans and sinners, until all is lost? To them for
this course, will be grateful those who op
pose their cause jubant, when we shall have
been defeated, as those who exeerate that cause.