The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-04-25
HntcmpesaTe &c.

.lr- E.34foT-
/ The Attacks Of your prohibition" cor
/ respondents j and Investigator throw
me somewhat from my programme bat
/ must pause to review t4em.
/ Tic argument of j IS that, if one
/ man is guilty of an abuse of stimulants,
/ others are responsible for it. and there
/ fore morally bOun 10 oppose the sale OF
/ such stimulants, ana that the evil result
/ ing iherefroIu = just cause for prohibit
/ ton, As IN the case Of murder, theft, ar
/ son, gambling, etc. Here - precsei y
/ the issue I make with these Incorporate
I temperance advocates. They assume that
( 10 be criminal hich an intelligent public
opinion knows il not crimi nal, and that
TO he immoral which public morality does
! not 90 recognize our officers find no
difficulty in executing or maintaining our
laws against arson, theft. burglary, ard
I ike crimes, because they are. ia and Of
I themselves, crimes. heuce they SO stand
IA law in all ages. Chimes, and countries.
No sane being can be gully OF one OF these
without in ury to society. Not 50 with
the sale of stimulants. ii uinety -nine life
long moral, sober men. buy liquor, using
IL moderately for This or that purpose,
there can be no crime in such men buy
I ing, and of course there can be no crime
in selling 10 them. | take it that no fair.
uuexcited mind, viii dispute this PROPOSE
ton Hence, jumping TO the position as
sumed by Investigator THAT the trade
is right or it is wrong l buddy assert
that Commerce has right, and should
have, to sell these ninety nine men,
what to them is an innocent, oft timc )
useful, an sometimes necessary article.
| further assert that the proportion of
drunkards TO our society is about SO
to - l further hold that this one drunk
ard 81 tho ofe1,1lr- aud that he himself
BILE How far Commerce IS cuipaDie IN ira
ding with the latter character IS another
question; but TO justify general prohibl
ton it must he shown that, the sale OF
spirits is always injurious and never
beneficial. precisely as in the crimes cited
But the idea that Commerce IS to be GRIP
pied or blamed for the one hayward TEL
low is neither just or true; or, the pro-
position that these ninety nine people are
to adjust their meats and drinks TO ms
unfortunate idiosyncracy, may he chart
table, but it is unjust; or, that Commerce
shonld submit TO taxation and permit tins
branch TO go scot free, is an unreasonable
( exaciion. Ii we are TO legislate all tral-
! fcs and trades out of existence because
/ some exceptional men misuse or abuse the
/ privileges, where are we to stop! Any
well informed man can point TO an mex
/ haustible list of evils resulting from the
] abuse OF tue pllNiftEe OF tIAhAO AL NN"NA
things, but shall the fanatic under the
plea of reform rush US into
suMPrUARr LAWS,
to suppress the trade in these things, les
harm Come to the citizen Ii SO, they
bring us TO the absurd proposition thai
the State must undertake the physical anc
moral training of the citizen, prescribing
what we shall eat. drink, aud wear ant
! forbidding whatever might be injurious
If left to act for ourselves. In other words
convert our Legislature into
BOARD OF HEALTH.
OF course our Fulton prohibitionists d
not think of going further than dealing
with Intoxicating drinks, but II the.
by statutory law, make that criminal
which is only per1icious when carried t
excess. future zone idea moral reformers
will inevitably follow.
have shown in my former eommnnica
lions, .why Prohibition has always fail
ed. and ..Ihe injury that has always re
suited to the cause OF Temperance by drift
ing our societies from moral suasIon
into political or sectarian religious wa
ters." The latter point your correspond
enP9 do not controvert. There are to
many old ..wsshingsonians' living in thi
cs,n,y for them % dispute this aistoT,