The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-08-07

State ,hsS III. counties
aud towns ~ srorcing IT to-day.
Are we different from these people, are
they not our xii and kin, raised un
der the same Ia :, subject to the same
Influences Why, our brothers in
Clinton and MaIfeld have been trying
Local Option for some time, and they
testify that il has not worked harm to
any one or injured single individual,
but on the contrary it has been a bless
ing and a great good in these places to
the entire COMMUNICATED aud poor.
white and black In further proof of
what | have said there is the Moscow
district, adjoining the Clinton district,
it has been watching the practical work
ing of the Local Option of its next
door neighbor tor some time. The 9TH
er day Moscow district voted for OPP
ton by, we are informed, to one.
Another district close by in the same
county voted it to one. Benton, the
county seat of Marshall county lust
beyond May6eld voted for Option
( These are the voluntary tributes paid
to the worth of Local Option by these
( places-they are our fellow-eitizen
{lheir action was not the off pring of svsl :
1den impulse or passion; nor without
+ opportunity of judging; they waited
: and watched until the demonstration
came beyond doubt that Local Option
was not only practicable, but that il
was a power of great good to the COM
munities where it prevailed, then calm
ly as becomes those who love the right,
they arose in the majesty of freemen,
and with the freemaDs weapon, (the
ballot box white and black, rich and
poor, freely, gladly, voted Local OPP
ton Now, in all candor, may | not
ask which to the candid enquirer after
truth should have the most weight, the
example of Clinton and May field. and
the solemn testimony of the districts
and towns adjoining them, or the mere
opinion Of persons to the contrary, not
/ based upon either experiment or OBJ
servation. This Is the serious oues-
ton | PROFOUND tc;6e good people of
Fulton who are Sxious TO find the
simple truth.
Another objectioIto the law was,
that people born 70 personal liberty
cannot be driuen ints an arbitrary cute
of morals or relgioa" Now. | don't
suppose there is an intelligent mau in
this county that doubts the truth of
this statement, but shat in the world
has this truth to do With the proposed
option law? 1t wasio be submitted 10
me people for their fee, voluntary ac-
ton No one was to he forced to do
anything whatever; but the question
was to be tested, notify force, fraud or
violence, but By Ireemen and by the
freemans plan, the ballot Can any
sane man say that here 10 Kentucky.
where we aud our fathers before us.
Rve been from the iormatiou of oul
government deciding al such questions
by the ballot box, that we have not
been freemen, but that we have been
forced into the adoption of all our laws
and even the constitution under which
we live. Surely not
Besides, what code of morals or re-
ligion is proposed BY this law? None
whatever. Suppose our people had
adopted the law, aud We had it only for
a rode Of morals or religion, what reli
gious principle dOesi it enforce. Not
one. What code of morality does it
contain ? Not the semblauce of such
thing can be found in the law. So far
as the option Law is concerned. the
most immoral and ineligious man in
the community could have daily prac
ticed his habits, and there is not par.
agraph, line, word or syllable in it to
have hindered or punished him. All
this being the simple truth, how un
founded is it theR 70 say that because
freemen cannot b driven into a code
of morality or re on, we should op-
pose this law. well might we, for
the same y be was opposed
! ! ! ] !
daughter, w zsisf5Hg them; that
no person coulds, loan or give away
spurious liquor, even to member
of his family, &eSsNow, | assert, most
Il IL