The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-01-04
Is Good Law a Cause Of Sin ?

We find the following paragraph in a
recent number Of the Middlebury REGIS.
TER:
at is asserted that the prohibitory
liquor law is prolific source of corrup
ton Of public mora, in that its every
day operation develops evasion, falschood
and perjury. 1t is fact which cannot
be denied that men who regard their
oaths upon other matters, make no scruple
Of deliberate .falsehood to protect the
criminal who has furnished them liquor
This is not, probably, very common
state of things, for one who is known to
perjure himself in testifying upon
liquor case, may reasonably be doubted
it his testimony comes in conflict with the
testimony of another in any other case,
1t is difficult to believe that any right
minded person can look upon lalsehood
under the sanctions Of the judicial oath in
any one case, as Of less turpitude than in
any other case, And yet it does seem
to be a established fact that such is
the case. For this unfortunate state Of
things is the prohibitory law answerabe
The Vermont Witness should give us an
exhaustive discussion upon this subject.
If it be true, as our brother of the
REGISTER seems to suppose that there are
persons whose minds are perploxed with
honest doubts on the subject. we have DO
objection to throwing little light upon
it,
ST. Paul tells US that where there is
no law, there is 10 transgression," but
when the commandment came, sin re.
vived." And yet he assures u.s. 1.-The law
is not sin, or is not evil, because evil de.
velops itself in consequence OF it. but it is
holy, just and good.' Aud this rule may
be universally applied. limo law against
wrong should be made, which would prove
an occasion of calling sin into action, or
if the moral status shows by the avarice
or lower passions of mankind were the
standard for making criminal laws, we
might as well have no such statutes at al
The Register, in the above paragraph
well says that he who perjures himself in
liquor case, may be doubted in any
other The guilt Of perjury is the same
iu all cases. The witness who commits
this offence in rum trial, is just as liable
to be sent to tho state prison, as he would
be for a trial Of theft Or arson And It
is not for him to clam the right Of testi.
flying falsely, because he does not like the
law. The state gives him no such right
OF discrimination. Perjury is danger.
Gus crime, Property, reputation, and life
itself may depend on the veracity of a
witness. And he who is sufficiently dcs.
titute Of conscience and self respect or
character to pcrjurc himself in a trial for
protecting the community against thieves,
incendiaries or rumsellers, will hardly be
made more base in his own character by
a good law, which only gives an oppor.
tunity for calling out the sin which is al.
ready within him.
1t should be remembered that most Of
the witnesses in the rum cases are either
men Of ordinarily low character, or those
upon whom the corrupt z power of
strong drink has had its baneful effect.
Hence there is apparently more perjury
in liquor trials than in other criminal
cases, And in illustration of this effect
Of strong drink upon the moral character,
we quote the following testimony of Judge
Pierpoint, the chief justice of Vermont
in his charge to the jury few months
ago, in this city, after two Witnesses
both drunkards-had testified in such a
manner as to convey decided impression
that they were guilty Of perjury. lie
said
at has been often asserted that intoxi.
eating liquors are injurious to those who
uriuh rnein, II nau epar had anv
doubts of this, my doubts would be re.
moved after hearing the witnesses on the
stand to-day. Many persons of superior
minds, who use intoxicating drinks, arc
materially injured by them but when
they make man entirely indifferent 10
the obligations Of their oath, then we see
their results in one Of their worst forms.
If their effects upon the human system
and upon the human mind are such as to
render a man SO obivious to the truth
if they are so deadening to the moral
sense as they have evidently been with
the individuals who have just been on
the stand, then certainly the time has
come when they should be abolished"
Those who claim that the prohbitory
liquor law has an immoral tendency
causing men to commit perjury,-ought
to know that this immoral aud corruptng
tendency is in the rum they drink, rather
than the law which condemns the evil,
But as this charge against the law is
made mainly for effect, by its enemies
who do not believe what they say, it is OF
no use to reason with them. And those
|, who believe the law responsible for such
, perjury-ii there are any such--a-e few
and enough for them has already been
said. Vermont Witness,