Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1874-08-06
THE LICENSE QUESTION.
Views of Hon. w. III. West.

Views of Hon. w. III. West.
shall most certainly vote against
the license clause and advise all 9th.
ers to do likewise, not because that
under it temperance legislation to the
fullest extent that ever would be ex-
ercised by prohibitionists may not be
possible, but because majority vo-
ting for license will be interpreted as
an expression of popular opinion ad-
verse to existing legislation and an
invitation to the existing General
Assembly amounting almost to an in
structiOn to wipe that legislation from
the statute book by repeal. And this
expression of public opinion will be
the same and have the same moral eff
feet upon that body, whether the
Constitution be adopted or rejected.
The voice of the State upon the sub
ject of temperance will have been
uttered and its General Assembly
may, if it see proper, interpret that
voice unfavorable to existing laws.
For these reasons among others, |
urge upon our people everywhere to
vote against license.
Again, the granting of license nee
essarily implies the comforting of
special privileges which is inconsis-
tent with the principles and genius of
our government. The whole doctrine
of special privileges has been repudi-
ated again and again, and l hope for
privileged class in a particular bust
ness. 1t is the building up of kind
of whisky aristocracy allowing a
privileged few to engage in business
which in itself leads to evil conse-
quences. If that privilege were pro-
posed to be given to any other class
of business in the State of Ohio or
the United States it would be repudi-
ated with indignation and scorn. Yet
here it is asked that there be a special
privilege license granted to few
to the exclusion of the many. No
reason exists why the right to traffic
in intoxicants, if in itself moral,
should be vested in a special or privi-
legged few, more than the right to
traffic in merchandise of any descrip-
tion. The tendency is to foster 4
business condemned by the moral
sense of mankind, which is repugnant
to all our notions of republicanism
and democratic equality.
Again, the granting of license nee
essarily imports the sanction and pro-
lection of law to the thing licensed.
The general tendency of the traffic in
Intoxicating liquors as beverage is
decentralization, poverty and crime.
True, these things are not the invari
able, but the general results of the
traffic. Its tendency is, and its nat
ural effects are to lead to those con-
sequences. The granting of license,
therefore, to traffic in this commodi-
ty necessarily imports the giving
recognition, sanction and sanctifica
tion of positive legal enactment to n
business, the natural and general
tendency of which is to demOraliza-
tion, poverty and crime, thing to
which it is inconceivable that one
imbued with the proper sentiments
of Christian civilization should lend
his support. For these reasons can
not and will not give my sanction TO
an affirmative law comforting such
power. True, if the Constitution
were silent upon the subject, the leg
islative power to grant license would
exist, and the common law right to
engage in the traffic independent of
legislation would also exist, but
speak of positive sanction by afiirma
tive action to give which my consent
is necessary, and an affirmative ac-
tion on my part Indispensable. l
am unwilling to give this sanction,
to incur this individual responsibility. |
1 shall therefore vote against the Ii
cense clause of the Constitution, and |
in so doing shall feel that have dis
charged my duty.
In the present Constitution it is
provided that the
DRUNKENNESS OF A JUDICIAL OFFICER
during term time, or while other |
wise engaged in the transaction of
official business, shall exclude him
from Office. Now, we have that much |
temperance embodied squarely in the
Constitution, and if you vote it down
you will lose the benefit of that much
temperance, at all events. And
say to you that is no idle provision,
for the bench of Ohio has been, un-
fortunately, disgraced by intoxica-
ton. You yourselves have witnessed
it. And above all scenes that beggar
description is that of a drunken
Judge sitting upon a bench of justice
irving a fellow-citizen for his life or
his liberty, while so utterly maudlin
drunk that he can scarcely dis
tinguish light from darkness. 1t is
the most wretched, most disgracefnl,
most damning picture of humanity
that can be portrayed by the pen Of
angels or devils. Applause.l !