The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-07-10

| uD0ueSriOned contempt of the court
The Judge wavers; the whisky power
swavs the judicial bench :the recalcitrant
witness is dismissed; the case is dis
missed. and with it all similar cases. and
the court adjOurnS. The curtain falls
on a degraded court and a dissraced
city. Nowonder a by-srander cried out,
shame shame Had the city been
fully aware OF its disgrace thar word
would have sounded from every lip. and
Missed and hurtled through the air, till
the purple current mantled every cheek.
As it was. the man was arrested and
imprisoned for contempt OF court
which had degraded itself so low that
| contempt for il was the only sentiment
which an honest man could entertain.
Here then we stand. The whole at
tempt To enforce law and secure Justice
would be- Supremely ludicrOuS, if 1t were
| not Supremely solemn and saddening-
| a farce if it were not almost learluIIy
! real tragedy. Our laws utterly diSre-
| garded, our courts "a inOckery oI Justice,
| our magistrates III league with criminals
| and abettOrs of crime. and amid this
| modern Saturnalia is heard the eXultant
| howl of the liquor dealers shouting de
family over the defeat of the temper
ancistS." And all this in city with a
Christian name and history and a herit
age of blessing transmitted to ii by Illus
triOuS men. who fought for its sacred
| liberties, and purchased them with
priceless sacrifices of treasure and blood.
But what are we going to do about 1t:
Several things we can do. Surrender
to the enemy. Give over the unequal
contest Never" you say. Well, it
doesn't make so much difference what
you say as what you do. There are
men in this city and cOuntry-nOt few
who have surrendered, so their actions
declare. Their apparent Indifference and
unwillingness 20 enter the contest, not
to be vigilant, valiant, and ceaseless i'll
effort is to surrender in this case.
Shall we compromise? Since We can
not conquer, why not enter into terms
of agreement:
Why seek for an impracticable good!
You can not make society what you
wish. Do what you can without incOn-
veniencp, and be satisfied. Therefore
license the traffic. Such is doubtless the
honest opinion of some good men a. to
the method Of procedure. We question
not their motives, but their wisdom We
do. Whether the proposition come from
friend or foe. il is a compromise
more. an actual surrender. | do not
propose TO thoroughly discuss this queS-
ton of license AT this time. Suffice IL to
say, it has never restrained the evil OF
intemperance, and no proof can be
shown of its effectiveness.
1t gives the sanction of legality to a
business which should be stamped by
everyone ~ criminal. 1t permits under
the sacred seal of the State II traffic
ruinous to every real interest of society.
The sale of intoxicating drinks is AN un-
mitigated evil, working harm and only
harm to society. What is it then but II
crime. a high miSdemeanor against soci-
ETY.! Who has the right To sanction such
a crime, to call wrong right, TO give per
mission to pursue a business which EN-
braces in one alicrim SO bbcry and
murder included. Has the State sr!ch Il
right. Whence does it derive it! Who
gave any corporation or legislative body
the right to Iegllize the most destructive
traffic that ever cursed humanity. Tn
derncath the action of all governments
lie the eternal principle of right, and If
they be disregarded, national existence
is imperilled.
Nothing could more eiTectually che X
the progress of reform and demorIiiZe
society than TO sanction by State au-
thority this stupendOus evil. Already
we are staggering under Il fearful weight
of corruption and decentralization; add
this sanction of law TO crime, and We
fall in utter helpleSsnesS.
Precisely this is what the liIUOr deal
ers. aS class, and all interested in the
traffic. desire us to do With all their
L. Il. ,l,1l, -
tory law, there is nothing they SO much
fear AZ such ii law; nothing they 50 much
desire as state sanction for their unhOly
traffic For this they are ciaInorous-
Give them this. their opposition ceases,
their work of death and destruction
fIourishes. | have hardly patience TO
treat sOberly the money argument Tor
license, the revenue accrulng TO the
State. 1t is not only irrelevant AMI i'll
logical, but it is really sacrilegiouS. 1t
is a balancing of justice, and virtue, and
morality, against paltry dollars, that in
itself indicates fearful debauciinS OF the
public conscience. What, The State
sell indulgence TO commit crime, and
ill her Golfers with the proceeds!
Never was there baSer proposition,
and never Il more sophistical argument.
For every dollar the traffic yields tire
government it costs Fifty.
Look at Il few fearful figures, with
their convincing logic OF facts:
The annual cost of the liquor traffic iii
Western States is about II, 500, OG3; three
times rs much rs is spent for meat and
flour. Twenty times as much as Is spent
for clothing. For every dollar the CO.
600 clergy costs, liquor costs III.
Entire benevolent contributions OF the
United States annually about =, S,5Oo.cuO
-Sl75 for liquor 10 every one for cilari-
ty; $500, 900 drinkers. one 10 every
seven, women and children included.
Penns ylvania spent in 1870 for liquor 70
times aS much a. for schools and edHca-
tion. New York City has invested III
the LIQUOR business Sl4O. coo, 600; III
manufacturing and banking interest
combined she has just the same sum.
These figures startle Us, and every dollar
thus employed Is worse than lost to every
true interest of society. We have made
here no account OF tie crime, and pau
periSIn, and orphans. of almost incalcu-
liable expense thrown upon the govern
ment through this destructive traffic.
And yet we are asked to license it Tor
the sake of few paltry dollars. May
heaven i'll mercy spare Us from such fol
" and crime What. then, shall We do
with this gigantic evil:
Whatever we do, let lis keep our own
hands pure, and enter into no comprO-
mise with it, Let III have no fellow
ship with this throne Of iniguity,' and
beware that we do not frame mischief
by a law"
Rather meet every overture with the
reply OF Gen. Grant To Gen BuckIer at
| Fort Pillow: Il accept Of no terms cN-
! cept unconditional surrender. and pro
| pose Immediately 10 move on your
works" With such a spirit, victory l.
ultimately ours.
There is but one plain and honorable
! path before Us. We must apply our
! selves to tins stupendous task with true,
| Christly zeal, determined To Use every
| legitimate means for the accomplish
ment of our holy work-willinS 10 brave
tiercest opposition. make costliest sacri-
! flee. Doubtless our labor i like thar Of
Sisyphus. as our enemies boast, and tie
figure is not inapt, for the insp ration Of
ell opposition cOInes from the god of the
Internal regions, even as Piu-o imposed
the Sisyphan task. But the God in
heaven is our inspirer and helper. In
His strength let Us fight and falter not.
But compassed a We are on every side,
forbidden to apply the Gospel, and cir
cumvented at the law, what specifically
/ can We do or attempt:
l. Agitate the question, educate the
people. 1t Is time TO DO something more
than talk, know, but there Is need Of
more and better talking on this subject.
This city and whole country needs to
be swept bv a perfect tornado of agita-