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

mount. But in the sale Of liaaor,
which Is creature Of statutory enact
ment only, where Beighberheods and
tcwnships have different opinions, il
is not we'll enough. 1t is unjust and
oppressive
ify do as IL p.eases. License says:
Each locality shall not do as il
pleasss, but IS the thirty SIX Big
counties out OF ninety-two please IL
the thirty six say liquor shall be H.
censed, it shall be sold in every neigh.
borhccd, iet the people w.eh 10 OF not
Ii 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
ance with public justice and the pub
lie good.
IF in lT76 our fathers we're willing
10 lay the foundation of this great
nation on the consent Of the people TO
a rule that should govern the whole
land, and to that pledge their lives.
their sacred honor. their all, can not
We in 1875, while preparing for the
Ctulc1ui6i Nt1CA4a&toa vi tfAt "a
those great and good man, trust the
people, 20 say Whether the saloons
shall rule Indiana, or Indian M rule the
saloons?" 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 forbid trathe
whose history Is read in the broken
hearts aud the blasted hopes of our
fellow men? Surely the Senators OF
Indiana will not refuse the people
this right g
SHALL SALOON KEEPERS BE REsroS-
sIBLE FoR DAMAGES RESULTING
FROM THEIR BUSINESS.
One Of the primary principles of the
comm law Is, that every man must
= be held responsible for the results Of
his own acts If. 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 be was not to blame
for his conduct. Sometimes it may
happen that this rule works hardships,
but the rule exists for the benefit and
protection Of aggregated society, and
tue koOu Scu5t Oh htdnAlAu AGGldItS
the principle is founded in Justice.
Through the multiiarious ayoeations
and pursuits of life. We may, relying
on our bcasted ability aud mental de-
velopment, deny our responsibility to
God and reeklessly violate the laws of
nature, but We can not escape from
the operation of this great law; COM
manded by all intelligent persons
that we are and must be held account
able to our fellows for any injury they
may receive through our misconduct,
negligence, or wilful wTeng 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 fckle erea-
ture of statutory enactment.
If, by the common law, q man is
held responsible for his acts, should
we, when by statute We authorize a
business to be pursued, relieve him
from the responsibility necessarily
growing out of that business, should
we renounce this Statutory provision
from a traffic that We can not, and
never have trusted under the common
law2 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
cheek upon the reckless evils which
are continually flaming from this de-
structive traffic. When q 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 drunkard-to boyhood
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
blessings, he furnishes the serpent
that ultimately stings to death those
who take il to their embrace. Aud
shall this man who thus deliberately
plans and labors to injure, and may
responsible by Law for any injury he
X4OSt nc b4OulQ
be held responsible as much as the
man who deliberately sets FIRE to his
neighbor's barn, for he is a wrong
doer from the very moment he decides
to engage in this traffic, violator of
the law of God which has declared,
Nv oe unto him who putteth the cup
to his neighbor' lips, an outlaw from
the universal rales 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 forger 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- /.
spopsible for the evils resulting to
persons and ociety from his business?
Monstrous infatuation, indeed. We
hold an apothecary responsible for the !
mischief his misconduct causes. We
allow 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 ii. If buck
ster sells decayed vegetables We make |
him settle for it. If farmers OK
cores, he is held responsible. Why |
not. then. put the liquor seller in the |
same boat? Is he better than other |
trsdesmen. that he shall be exempt /
from the consequences of his miscon-