Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-08-15
For the Telegraph.

NO LICENSE.
On Tuesday of next week the electors
of Ohio will be called upon to express
thrir opinion of the New Constitution by
baIlot o. the merits Of that document
AS A whole, il is not our purpose to speak.
but wish few words on that provision
which more particularly affects every do
mestic circle; nay, more, which is Of spe
cial interest TO every member of the great
Commonwealth Shall the sale OF intox-
icating liquors be licensed by law. is
question of much more than ordinary in
terest, yet how few will stop to give it The
sober. second thought For one we wish
to say unhesitatingly, and emphaiicHiiy'
no.
We answer the question neganVeiy
from no motive OF policy, as is sometlines
done, but upon the brad grouna 'hai me
sale of ardent spirits as beverage Is an
unmi,ipated wrong; that it tends 10 evil,
only evil. and that continually, with the
saveres, denunciaIions OF heaven resting
rnon il To substantiate these pIoposi-
,ions we affirm that it clogs legislation in
every a. Dnrtment. OF this we need no
stronger proof than the fact that the fram-
ers of our present Constitution had not
stamina enough to incorporate mo LII
cense" clause as a distinct article IN Inc
document they presented for the endorse
ment of the people, but must provide loi
il separate chance for existence Inc
people were no, slow 10 put their endorse
ment upon 1t. To us it is source OF
qualification that the first ballot we ever
cast read For License, No" Again'
after a lapse of p years, the solons OF
tbe State are called together to present
revised code of organic laws, and alter
1856 DAYS of assiIuous incubating, the same
egg rolls from beneath them, just little
expanded by the additional heat OF 81
many days of toll. The same lack of
back bone which characterized the action
of the other convention. on this vital
question, was apparent In the one which
recently closed its labors.
1t enters legislative halls and buys aud
sells men to more degrading servitude
than that which begins with the sale in
the slave mart, and the people have to
mourn the disgracpful acts, and not un-
frequently, the bestial conduct. OF Those
who sit in high places" 1t may very
properly be said, that among our public
men whisky is king" because there are
comparatively few among them who do
not. occasionally at least, drink with
friend. and if it be but few times year,
il puts an rffectual gag in the mouth.
Then what shall we say of those who are
ever more or less ready to "swing round
the circIeg'
Intemperance enters the domestic cir
Gle and makes brutes or fools OF husbands
and fathers-imposing undue care and
labor upon wives and mothers; robhing
children of the means of comfortable sus-
tenance and respectable education, and
worse than these. of dignified and Chris
tian example, 50 essential during the pc
rod most susceptible to external influence.
1t leads regiments of boys to the work
house, to the penitentiary, or to lives OF
dissipation and crime; and multitudes of
girls to the haunts Of shame and prosti-
ton. 1t incites to lust and murder con
tinually.
L., ba
one but to "steal away his brains" and
destroy his manhood. Its use taxes every
resource of the people. 1t adds to the
cost of everything we eat, drink and
wear. 1t adds to our doctors bills and
increases our attorneys fees. We support
officers and courts and poor-houses and
iails, and places of correction and punish
ment, for which we should have no use,
were it not for this dire evil.
The drinking of cider. wine. ale, whis-
ky, brandy-everything that can intoxi-
cate, tends to impoverish the pocket, to
corrupt manners, to deprave the appetites
aud passions, TO stultify intellect, to bru-
tify manhood-in short, to destroy earth
" happiness and effectually shut out the
hope of heaven. In view of these facts,
who dare vote public revenue upon the
manners, mind. aspirations, social and
domestic happiness. and eternal interests
of his fellow man, and give these inter-
ests over TO the keeping of the base and
sordidY AS we say in the marriage con-
tract-"What God hath Joined together,
let no man put assunder," so let us say in
regard to this licensing of the sale of in
toxicating liquors, what God hath forbid
den, let no man impose upon US by his
vote. HUI.
n,-,m A. ~ 1914