Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-01-29
Cerrlt Smith on Temperance.
A LETTER WRITTEN JUST PREVIOUS TO Ill;
DEATH.

DEATH.
The Chicago Adrcncc publishes the.follow-
| ing letter from Gerrit NTH, introducing il
with the remark that preparation was al
| most the last act of Mr.. Smiths life:
accede to your request for something
upon temperance question. While emphat-
ically agree with the temperance men in
the duty of total abstinance from all intoxi-
| eating drinks, am, nevertheless, very far
from agreeing with them in their demands
upon government. do not complain Of
them for | should not like to resemble the
obstinate juror who complained that the
other eleven jurors would not agree with
HIM. am conscious that the temperance
men are against me, and that | stand com
paratiyely alone. For nearly forty years |
have cherished such views of civil govern
ment Is only small minority hold to. In
all that time | have made its province much
narrower than the majority make it. The
sole work of government is to protect person
and property, and it is but natural that the
more closely it is confined to its work the
more thoroughly it performs it. Just here
let me say that government is not to be call
ed to protect us from all nerils, bat only
such as We cannot protect ourselves from,
and only from such as Immediately endanger
the public interest and threaten the very
life ofsociety. Surely such are our perils from
the dram shop, that den of horrors where mad
ness rules the hour and murder is the frequent
outcome Government is to leave large lati-
tude of conduct to individuals and families
In many private dwelling there l. lewdnesS;
in many there is gambling; and in many there
is drunkenness. Nevertheless, government
must not enter them to suppress these vices
These cases do not call for coertion, bnt for
moral influence. Let, however, the safety
Of the community be assailed by n public
brothel, or public gaming house or by that
great drunkard-maker, the public dram-shop
and there is an occasion for the suppressing
hand Of government. | was, perhaps,
wrong in going to the national temperance
convention at Chicago in 1862. The CON
yention was not prepared to adopt my views
of the narrow province of government.
1t was more disposed to accord great breadth
to it. | was, perhaps. wrong IN dcvotiug so
much time and mouey, through several sub
sequent years, to the task of pcrsuading the
temperance men TO ask nothing more OF govern
ment than the suppression Of dram-selling.
And mark, that would not be guilty Of the
inconsistency OF requiring even this much
from government in the name and in behalf
Of temperance. would require it simply
in virtue Of its obligation TO protect person
and property. Government owes nothing
even 10 the great and sacred cause Of TEN
peran-e The only aid that cause can legit-
lmately desire from il is what is Incidental
to the faithful work of government in pro-
tecting person and property. And what
say OF lager beer? Happily, ! neither
know or desire 10 know the taste Of il. II
il be SIMPLY Supplying | would not have
government to clas, i. with dram-sh0p
drinls, and teerclore forbidden drinks. Let
me here remark, by the way, that whether
lager beer be or not intoxicating q suppose
il Is only slightly 50. unless the drinker be
very hchemrIhl. lwould not have government
array i,s-t 9csinst German beer gardens.
! never saw but one. 1t was at st. Louis,
and. although it was nearly twenty years
ago. have not yet lost very pleasant i'm
preston il made upon me Families seated
quietly around small tables, with nothing
on them but pitcher Of lager beer. goblets,
and plate OF cake, contrasted 50 widely
with the noisy ard mad whi>key-drink-
ines of the Yankees and Irish, that
my rigid total ahstinance relaxed if
it not into an approval, at least into the tol
Grafton of the scene before me. This usage
of father.and. So dear To the heart Of every
German. has strong claims to forgiveness and
favor If over against its many pleasant fea-
tures there be one that Is 10 be regretted.
The friends Of temperance are very numer-
Gus and very honest. They have failed in
their political action simply because they have
grasrcd It too much and exact more from
government than it has the right to render.
Government viii never prohibit all traffic in
intoxicating drinks. 1t Will never be guilty
of such an invasion Of the domain Of indiy.-
dual liberty. The prohibitionists are ex-
tremsts. They would not 50 much as let
the housewife make her key Of current wine.
Let the friends Of temperance be content To
ask of government only So much as govern
has the right to grant. Let the Temperance
men come together on this sure ground. and
stand there at the elections, and the acccs-
sions to them viii soon make them the ma
joritv. | Will not say that, come what viii,
every temperance man must stand there at
every election OF he justly called 4 traitor.
We old abolitioni~tS, who have worn out
our lives in the battle against slavery.
must. if ever we shall see the bloody old
dragon threatening To return upon Us, be
allowed To make secondary the claims Of
temperance. and to vote again rs aholi-
tioniS's.
pfrrRBpEo y.