The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-06-13
rs it Right or Wrong :?

~ ..t.,.0. = r. "a.
This is the only question which
deserves to be considered in connec-
ton with tie matter Of liquor sell
ing. lift is right to'keep liquor sa,
looms for the sale Of spirisYous," liz;
uors, where it may be drank 1t The
bar and where inducc.ncats may he
offered to e,ltice. people 70 comc in
and. drink more; where the i!ben-
ally disposed may treat their friends
and be treated in turn and have a
good time generally ; and, where the
dispenser Of the subtle stimulants
may smile upon and be gracious TO
his patrons SO long as their money
lasts, and kick them into streets only
when they set, beastly drunk. and
dead broke. We repeat that, if it
IS right to do this, # it is right for the
community to permit it to be done,
then the community has no right to
exact license fee for the privilege
Of doing it. MI that is incumbent
upon it is to see that such establish
ments do not become disorderly !;
that the drinkers do not ger crazy
and injure or kill each other ; Or
commit such eNtravagances or indie
cencies as may shock the general
public To do more than this: to
make them pay fee for. the prlvi-
lege of doing what is right and what
they have right to do, is unjust
and oppressive.
Again, if the act of selling liquor
is wrong ; if men have no right to
administer to the vitiatcd appetites
Of their fellows if it issinhun1an to
entice the wcak-minded and foolish
to commit acts injurious to them
selves and possibly harmful to their
fellows !; i The impoyerishment of
families by catering to the vicious
desires Of those who stand at their
heads and ought to be their provid-
ers and protectors is to perpetrate
evil if it is cruelty to turn helpless
little children into the streets, hun
:gry, lily clothed and unkempt, to be-
come in their turns the corrupters
Of others if it is chine to drive to
sin and destruction, by reducing her
to desperation through neglect and
want, the wife and mother who might
otherwise have made a useful
member OF society,"; if it is "a shame
to reduce to- inlbecility and misery,
by n1inistering to this depravity, the
man otherwise capable Of doing
good in the world. If it is, we re.
peat, a shame and sin and crime to
do these things, then the community
has not and cannot have the right to
license the, sale Of liquor for any
sum whatever.
If a man wilfully does wrong Of
his own volition, despite the proper
efforts to restrain him, he alone is
responsible for his sin, but if society
grants him the privilege Of doing this
wrong, upon his payment of GER
tain fee called license, money, then
the community becomes his abettor
in the wrong-doing and, a partaker
Of the proceeds Of his iniquity. 1t
follows, Of course, that it also be-:
comes equally guilty of and respon:
side Tor the wrong done, and 1t IS.
not unreasonable for such as suffer
in consequence Of the evil to claim
that the entire community owe it to
them to make PREPARATION for the
damage they have suffered. This
seems to us very clear, for surely; if
this city, on the payment of $4,000
into its treasury, grants to forty liq-
uor sellers the privilege of making
drunkards, by what rule of equity
can it claim to be exempt from liza
billty for injuries which those drunk
ards may inAict upon mothers, wives,
sisters, children, or even neighbors
or strangers ? #