The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-02-03

mcnt only, where nelghD0rhOods ana
townships have different opinions, it
!, is not we'll enough. 1t is unjust and
oppressive.
Local option says: let each local
ity do as it p,eascs.' License says:
t1Each locality shall not do as 1t
pleases, but as the thirty six big
counties out Of ninety-two please. IT
: the thirty Elk. say liquor shall be H.
toensed, it shall be sold in every neigh:
@borhood, let the people wish it or not. =
1t is therefore seen, that while on
the one hand license is not only in di-
rect antagonism to public good. but
also to public Justice, so local option,
) on the other hand is in strict accord
O ance with public justice and the pub
lie good gea. ts Eslis bro. pa
81 If in 1776 our fathers were willing
{ to lay the foundation of this great
nation on the consent of the people to
a rule that should govern the whole
q land, and to that pledge their lives,
their sacred honor, their all can not
we in 1875, while preparing for the
centennial celebration Of the Iabors of
those great and good men, trust the
people, to say Whether the saloons
shall rnle Indiana, or Indiana rule The
saloons7 If We are willing to invest
the people with the choice of the
Judge to whom is committed our prop
erty, reputation and lives, shall we
refuse to endow the same people with
the right to tolerate or for bid traffic
whose history Is read in the broken
hearts and the blasted hopes of our
fellow men2 Surely the Senators of
Indiana will not refuse the people
this right. sHF e9er.+T ase4~ 80
SHALL SALOON KEEPERS BE REsPoN-
SIBLEs FOR DAMAGES RESULTING
FROM THEIR BUSINESS.
One of the primary principles Of the
common law is, that every man must
be held responsible for the results of
his own acts. II, by any. act of his,
injury comes to another he is respon-
sible for that injury and must make
reparation, unless he can satisfy the
Judge or jury. that he was not to blame
for his, conduct. Sometimes 1t may
happen that this rule works hardshile,
protection Of aggregated society, and
The good sense of mankind declares
the principle is founded in Justice
!, Through the multifarious avocations
and pursuits of life. we may, relying
on our boosted ability and mental de-
yelopment, deny our responsibility to
God and recklessly violate the laws Of
nature, but We can not escape from
the operation Of this great law; CON-
manded by all Intelligent persons
that we are and n, ust be held account
able to our fellows for any injury they
may receive through our misconduct,
negligence, or wllfl wrong doing.
Now, let us apply this great funda-
mental principle to this traffic
in drink, which is outside the pale of
common law, and only the tickle crea-
ture OF statutory enactment.
- Ii, by the common law, a man is
held responsible for his acts, should
we, when by statute we authorize
business to be pursued, relieve him
from the responsibility necessarily
growing out of that business, should
we renounce this statutory provision
from traffic that we can not, and
never have trusted under the common
law Nay, rather, as this traffic is
universally regarded as against the
best interests of society, should not
more rigid, instead of easier rules be
applied to its conduct SO as to form a
check upon the reckless evils which
are continually flaming from this de-
structive traffic. When man deter
mines to sell intoxicants he certainly
can not plead that he does not know,
what the results are likely to be. He
can not reach the age of maturity and
remain ignorant of the effects of the
use of liquor. From the time when
he dreaded the druDkard-to boyheod
when he played the degraded sot-his
own experience demonstrated the
dreadful consequences of the use Of
liquor. Prompted by the spirit of
avariee he engaged in the disgraced
and degrading traffic solely to make
money-for that is his only object
: and perfectly conscious that he will
make money at the expense Of the in
dustry, prosperity and happiness Of
others. to whom, in return for these
blessings, he furnishes the serpent
that ultimately stings TO death those
who take it to their embrace. And
shall this man who thus deliberately
plans and labors to injure,T and may
hap, destroy his fellow, not be held
responsible by law for any injury he
may cause? Most certainly he should
be held responsible as much as the
man who deliberately sets fire to his,
neighbours barn, for he is wrong
doer from the very moment he decides
to engage in this traffic, yiolator of
the law of God which has declared,
w oe unto him who putteth. the cup
to his neighbor lips, an outlaw from
the universal rules that find their
legislation in the common sense of
mankind; only justifying his choice of
business BY the plea. which may with
equal force be used BY the forgeri or
the burglar In the land, he does it
for the money there is in it, and will
you say this man must hot be held re
sponsible for the evils resulting TO
persons and society from his business?
INDUSTRIOUS infatuation, indeed. We.
hold an apotheeary responsible for the
mischief his misconduct causes; We
allow a doctor to be held in damages
for malpractice We make a lawyer
suffer for abuse of his duties to his
client. If butcher sells bad meat
we make him pay for it. If buck
ster sells decayed vegetables we make
him settle for it. If a farmers OK
cores, he is held responsible. Why
not, then, put the liquor seller in the
same boat? Is he better than other
tradesmen. that he shall be exempt
from the consequences of his miscon-
duct, when all others are held to a
strict accountability
On Saturday, before the New Or
leans investigating committee, Judge
H.. G. Myers, askepuolican of Natchi-
toches parish. testified that he had
&C lived there about fifteen years, and
had left through fear Of personal vio-
lence. that since 1868 thirty.t hree per-