Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-04-02

hope for success. For legislation that
cannot be enforced, is a dishonor to
government, We can force them to
pay for license but cannot force them
to quit.the business entirely"
These and like things are said By
such temperance men as really do not
mean to justify the business. Ofcourse
there are many others who do sanction
the business itself and are yet IN favor
of the license system as a sort of tax
upon Inquiries; and others who favor
it because their party or their friends
do, with no particular conviction one
way or another.
But the reasons given for granting
license by temperance men may all be
gathered up in a statement ike this.
1--WE cannot stop the business, but to
make it illegal and then not stop it, Is
to degrade law, therefore we will make
it legal, but put it under bonds and
make it pay the community some thing
as well as those who carry it on.
Now; whatever reasoning will make
this position good, will make good the
same position taken in regard to houses
of prostitution.
1--WE cannot entirely put an end to
them, but to make them Illegal, and
not to stop them, is to degrade law,
therefore we will legalize them, but
make them pay something"
Of course; no statesman ever rea-
soned thus, for to such the following
is clear. 1t assumes that whatever sin
the government cannot prevent, it may
legalize and profit by-a doctrine which,
since the time of Moses no statesman
ever taught. Such reasoning would
prevent legislation altogether By
such theory Moses ought to have
said--"We cannot stop stealing, but
to make it illegal and then not stop it,
would be only a farce, it would degrade
law by revealing the fact that it can
not prevent what it condemns, there
fore we will make it legal under GER
tain considerations and not say thou
shalt not steal," but, 'thou mayest
steal, if thou wilt pay part of thy
plumber into the treasury of the COM
monwealth'."
Also; Moses should have said eve
cannot entirely prevent adultery but to
say thou shalt not commit adultery
and then be unable to enforce the law
would only show that law is weak
what then would become of the majes-
ty of law? No: we will say-'thou
mayest commit adultery within certain
limitations, but we shall insist upon
your paying part Of the price of the
virtue and innocence you destroy, into
the treasury Of the commonwealth of
Israel"
In short-the argument that be-
cause we cannot enforce law, there
fore we must not have the law--that
because we cannot enforce prohibition
therefore We must not prohibit proves
too much, even that we ought to have
no law at all But that which proves
too much proves nothing.
These principles then ought to be
remembered
First-the wisdom Of a command,
depends upon the amount of good to
be secured in obeying it.
Second-the wisdom Of aprohjbi-
ton depends upon the amount of evil
in the thing prohibited.
Of course these tive principles are,
at root, one, viz. /: the wisdom of a
law depends upon the good to be secur-
ed by observing it. That is-if it be
observed will greater good result than
could otherwise obtain?
ThiTd-whatever manner of life or
rule of conduct, or lar, would, if OBJ
served, secure greater good than can
exist in the absence of such observance
IS law alleady-that Is, it is law in the
kingdom of God and law in the con-
science of men law eternal.
Fourth-no human Cor any other)
legislation has any right to enact law,
legalizing action such as is prohibited
by the eternal law. To do so, is to
lift human legislation above the univer-
sal reason or conscience, to say nothing
at all about its ignoring or denying the
law of God
Now let these principles be applied
to the liquor traffic, and it is evident
at once that to license the business I'M
der any pretext, is as great crime as
the business itself.
But why will men stultify themseE