The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-12-31
M j s G eIIaneO u 8.
For tile Agis Dc Intelligencer.
THE LIQUOR LICENSE QUESTION.

THE LIQUOR LICENSE QUESTION.
Editor cfthe 1Egis Dc Mtelligencer:
Who shall use stimulating, or, when
taken in excess, Intoxicating liquors, and
who shall not Who may use tobacco
either for chewing, smoking or snuffing
Who may use the expressed juice of apples
(cide) Who may use opium, hashish,
arsenic or chloroform Who may use Kou-
MISS the intoxicating drink obtained by
the Calmucks from mares milk Who may
use pork, beef, poultry, or even fish To
whom has been delegated the authority to
prescribe or withhold in such cases Has
any one class of our fellow-citizens received
special authority to exercise control over
the food or drink of another class of free
and equal" citizens If so, is the right
thus attempted to be exercised Divine or
human What individual, or collection of
individuals, if any, has been especially en-
dowed by the Creator with digestive and
nervous system which enables him, or them,
to prescribe by an inlullible rule surpass-
ing in application the national appetite,
exactly what articles of food, either solid
of fluid, all other men shall partukc Off
In this country particularly, which is
called "lrec" by courtesy, whose place is it
to assume, or, more properly presume to
regulate the diet of the people who are ex-
pected to pay for their food? Sumptuary
laws always have been, and will ever con-
ment is attempted.
There exists sect in New England,
though it is now languishing, which styles
itself Vegetarian" AS the name implies,
they es chen, rather than chez, all kinds OF
meat as an article of food So far, they con-
tent themselves with adciSing others to alb
stain from the use of meat. We all under
stand human nature enough to know that,
were they sufficiently strong in numbers
what is now limited simply to ddcice would
in that case, amount to cOmpulSi0n. The
same rule holds good in religion when sup
pOrtedby numbers, all who are not mem.
bers ofthc predominant church are heretics
The Constitution the United States-to
say nothing of the natural rights of manGt
he has any)-was framed more especially
for the securityapd maintenance of indlvid.
ual freedom or libertyin all matters pertain.
ing to religious or other belief; and it par.
ticularly RETAINED from imposing any re.
strictions upon articles ofdiet, fluid or solid
Nobody believes for moment that had
such restrictions been incorporated in that
instrument, it would have ever received
the sanction of the people.
If | am fond of pork, find no fault with
my Israelitish friends for abstaining from
its use and most freely do Iaccord m,
Teutonic friends the enjoyment of theil
Lager" while l exercise my preference fol
"a little plain whisky and water" There
is a large class in every community who
object, passiyely at least, to others eating OF
drinking those articles of food that they
themselves have no fancy for. This j,
pure, unadulteratcd selfshness, vice we ar,
instructed to beware of. 1t is therefore
evident that he who objects, by Legislation
or otherwise, to his neighbors' eating OF
drinking of articles which lie himself has
no taste for, or, on the other hand, hal
such an inordinate appetite for, that if Ii,
tastes it at all he loses all control of him
self and INDUCES to injurious excess, mus
of necessity be a selfish or an envious indi
vidual. 1t is "the dog in the maneer'
over again.
Now, all legislation so founded is no
| only, from its oppressive nature incffcctiv,
in its enforcement, but is gross Outrage
upon the intelligence and freedom of th
pcople-even if that people be the minor
ity. 1t is not subject that "majorities
have any right to exercise control over, an,
more than dozen people at table, al
using sugar in their coffee except myself
have the right to compel me to use suga
also, or have no coffee. "Prohibitory laws
so. called-(the term itself is offensive,
have time and again been enacted in til
New England States the foster mother o
all the odious "isms" of the day-an,
have uniformly proved practically inopera
tive; that is, the quantity of liquor use
was scarcely diminished, while the amour
of fraud and dishonesty thereby engender
ed, has proved incalculable.
Look for n moment at the development
now being made of the stupendous opera
tions of the "whiskey ring" at st. Loui
Chicago, and other Western cities, as I'll
result Of the almost prohbitory tax on til
distillation of liquors 1t has already bee
developed by the courts oflaw that in thr,
cities alone the Government has been d.
frauded (of which it defrauded the peopi
of over ten millions ofdolars And anon
those engaged in this nefarious bushes
are many of the most trusted public Sc
wants pardon, servants no longer, rulers)-
men in high station, (near the Viii
House,, men protesting great piety. The
have their price. The ubiquitous Law
which tax the necessaries oflife so exhorb
family, and thereby offer temptation, irr
sistable by the great mass of poor humi
nature, are responsible, or rather, those e
| eli ha l,nl.l 4,
for the damnation of many souls which N
turo boI not cnNso;antlu at,a.,