The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-05-01

! vld;'al liberty, 1t might reply: HIS per-
son is ignorant that drinking alcohol
moderately leads to drinking it inmod-
! eratrlv that its immpdcrate Use fradS
I to drunkenness, and compelS the Gov
ernmcnt To Interfere; or, he is so i:ty the
/ victim OF appetite already, rs, for its
qualification to pat himself Where at S;,St
! Srlf-re>pect and scli-%ovcrnr9rnt VIII
pcrisia- and so force the Government il
take him in charge. Which ever may
PROMPT his present course. the duty OF
| the Government is plain to interfere,
and save him. If he is ignorant, he is
rs c!iild. neeriin~ parental care. If he
! is knowing. vet williul. he is the victim
of his passions. and the Government
auSt control him. \ human being with
his passions uppcrmost is not II man;
for the time being. he is Il beast That
which dignifieS hIm with personality is
extinct. He has lost his balance. Til:
he RECEIVERS his center of gravity, the
Government Is obligated to see that he
neither Injuries others nor himself. So
much for the right of the man to make
himself Il drrnkarl. Now for the
rights of the rum seller. There are two
parties to Il sale alwavs-the buyer and
the seller What it is wrong 20 buy. it is
wrong to- sell. What it is wrcnr to sell,
it is wrong to buy. Now, ii no nlan
has Il right to make himself Il drunkard.
no man has Il ri@ht to aid him to make
himself drunkard. If he has no right
to pat himsclfwhrro temptation changes
chances into ccrtaintv-wherc the proba
hililiaS are that he will become Il drunk
ar,l-no man has the right to place the
temptation where il will probably work
his rain. If he is bound to Keep away
from temptation, his n,ighbnr should
not he ut liberty To pm the temptationin
lbs way If Il r2:ln may not drink when
offered. no man may OTTER the drink.
II Il man may not buy, Il man may not
sell. II the Government may interfere
To keep men iroEt bccoming drunkarC.s,
Government may interfere 10 keep mnn
from r.nkin" hrunkards. What is it
that makes an article Il matter of prop
crty? How shall we define property?
Is is not that qullitr in IN article which
enables rs t. aprNpriitc 1t, 10 work 1t
up to human benefit? Mans need Gi
What no man needs has no value.
.AI:phcl rav l-.. and undoubtedly is,
useful tor chemical, mechanical and ar
tistic purposes. But what use has it tor
man to drink? None. but 10 Kill him.
~ a drink. it has no ya,uc. II has no
property qualification. One might just
rs well bring plaster of paris to mnrkct
to sell tor brca!, IL alcohol fer drink.
Not many years agp, the municipal
authorities i'll Il certain city punished Il
number of bakers for selling bread with
Il mixture Of pulvcrizrd spar III it. and
no one set up - hue and cry thar the
authorities had invaded the rights of the
brcad-Scl.cf. yIcn undoubtedly have Il
right II sell bread, but it must MT br
made Of ground limestone. 50 men
hay" right 10 sell drink. but not :dco-
bal IL Il lrinL: for il has no useful prop
rrtir> aS II drink. This scllin" of aico-
hul j. the very climax OF mcanncSs.
The seller holds "Ts the idea that it Is,
III lis various preparations, useful Us 4
beverage. and the brycr gets IN cluiva-
lcnJ for his money; whereas, for the
purpps. Tor which it j. sold. and for
which it Is bought, it has II" value.
The transaction i Il swin,lr of the deep
ct hue: and, if the Government does
not Interfere, i; fails greatly OF il, duty
Al n:cr this world there are men @hu
need the. law To keep temptation out ni
sight lest they fall. They III" honest,
imyrulriyr, generous creatures. whose
passions are like Jyr;intI, welding fierce
r-i~trrv. The animal in them i, strong.
Lheir SENSE of srli-rc>pcct. their view
Of human nature. their conception OF
the ultimate good, are all feeble. owing
10 the strength of their passions. Such
are m0t men in that sense q! thy' word
which contcnplatc> man rs i!t Tor sell
government. SIc!i men ought 10 die
on their beds instead OF in the cutters.
And they will when the rrIm-Srlltr sees
his alcoholic drinks losing their va,u" by
means Of Il prollibitory statute.
Il this don't max" everything rs clear
us mud, you needn't publish it.
Ntt-t