The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-08-07
IMPLICATION AND WHITE LEAGUE.
ISM.

The pe0pl AT large are i"nIeIcsttd III
having good government, without pay
ing for it more than it is worth. Good
government consists in the protection
of life, liberty and property and in the
Gmoluments Of Office, only the office
holders and politicians are interested.
In the details of politics we are all liable
to differ. Last summer the unitication
scheme was started in New Orleans.
This was under the present State adj
ADMINISTRATION, and before the last session
of the legislature. At this last session,
the State debt was reduced to sixty
cents on the dollar, and State taxes have
been considerably reduced. If unifica-
ton was right then, it is not wrong now;
but we never advocated it as proposed.
We had and have strong objections to
part of the plan. We publish a news
paper to make money. The contract to
publish legal advertisements cGnpels us
to insert all such when the price is offer
ed but we have Il perfect right to re-
fuse all not included in the contract,
even if a price be offered. One man
can not be compelled to work for an
other, even for pay, if he does not want
to. We are and always have been OPP
posed to the license system. Govern
mcnt has the right to tax property and
even persons, for it has to protect per
SONS and property but it has no more
right to tax a mans trade or calling any
more than the air he breatlles. Such a
tax can not be uniform one mans bust
ness. of the same kind, brings him more
thai, that of another. A mans trade is
not visible or material it is abstract. 1t
cannot be seized; only the matter it
operates with can be seized. But on
government with strange inconsistency
SAYS a mans trade shall be taxed, but
the tools of his trade shall not be- 4
man owes nothing to government for
his skill in any business; government
should tax only the property invested
in that business. His trade or vocation
il his OWN, and he can take it anywhere
without government being able to as
sist Or prevent. If the trade or vocation
il lawful, he should exercise it without
paying for the privilege. ..*,,'..
But where government interferes and
compels a license to be paid, is it not
still further wrong to couple it with dam
aging conditions? 2 If selling whisky is
not wrong, a man should not have to
buy tile privilege of selling it. II it is
wrong, it should not be allowed at all.
A man keeps a drinking saloon to make
money; let the property invested be.
taxed, but not the business. But it
government taxes the business, it should
not add a condition that disables the
saloon keeper from making money to
pay Jay the tax. When the temperance
women in q Western town visited a GER
tuindrinking saloon, the proprietor had
them enioined by judicial process, be
cause they interfered with the proffts',of
u business he had a. right to follow and
which he hid paid"a license to follow:
Adrinking saloon keepers whisky be-:
longs to himself; he has the rightto sell,
or torefuse to sell it. The license is to
let him sell, not to compel him. to sell.
1t is discretionary with him to sell or to
refuse to sell to any particular persons.
If he should keep a saloon for ladies.
where gentlemen we're not wattedj the
latter would have no right to. enter. If
he should keep II for blacks, whites
would, have no cause for complaint if
he should refuse them a%dmittance or
drink. The same vice versa. The ex-
istence of civil society does not depend
on drinking saloons, nor on II mans
HAVING the right to drink where lie sees
another privileged to drink. Itreauirees
two to make a. bargain; and the saloon
keeper certainly ought to. be boss of his
" whisky, He has the right TOT re-
fuse liquor tota drunken roWdy, whose
presence drives away ~peaceable and
quiet customers. People of common
sense and decency, good feeling, and
ordinary modesty, will not go where
they are not wanted aud If they have
moi these qualities, Others should not
suffer from their lack. A man should
not make himself offensive to others, at
the expense Of the latter; and the law
should not allow him to do it. The
business Of a saloon-keeper being to
make money, lie follows it for that class
of drinkers Of his own selection who
pay him most; the ~visitations against his
consent Of any other class or of indi-
viduals thereof, that would drive away
the former and damage bis business,
should not be allowed. The privilege.
of a white man drinking whisky ina
saloon for black people, or that of a
black man drinking in n for white.
people, against the will and interest OF
the proprietors thereof, is not necessary
to the happiness of the drinkers o. to
the peace and good order Of, society.
When white and black whisky drinkers
want To tip glasses together in a public
place, they can always be accommodated
ut some saloon kept for the purpose,
without going where they are not wanted.
If there are not enough such drinkers to
keep up d saloon Of this kind, let them
buy a bottle and drink together, as we
have seen some very white land coloredl
ones do, not in a public place. Whisky
is whisky, many place and good whisky
is better drank in peace, than mean
whisky in a saloon where you are not
Nnlcnmp.