Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-01-31

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EDITORS Observation-Disclosures allow
me to state briefly for the edilication
of your Madison correspondent, that
the articles entitled prohibition and
Total Abstinence and State Legisla-
ton" were intended for one issue. but
on account Of space were divided.
I am obliged to IF. l.. NJ" for his
partial enumeration of the evils at
tending prohibition laws. | did not
deem it necessary, thinking that men
old enough To use the ballot, could, ii
their thoughts were rightly directed,
do so themselves. "F. l.. NJ" says that
millions Of money would necessarily
be lost through the enactment Of such
Il law. Yes, that is SO. And therefore
say that it is not the end of govern
ment to destroy the wealth.-that her
subjects have legitimately accumulat-
ed, but it is her duty to protect it.
TO say that the taxes of the people
would be lessened by destroying the
source by which the government de-
rivcs over one-half of her revenue,
which is raised by what he considers
the wrong doings Of his fellow men
thereby giving premium to those
people and their property who do
right by reducing their taxes one.half,
is something | cannot comprehend.
TO assume that the passing of Il pro-
hibition law would do away with the
necessity for poor houses, jails and
courts, is to say the least, absurd, for
there never was time that there
was not good and bad rich and poor,
and | venture to say there never will
be.
:, AS for Maine the State where Yam
kee ingenuity would rather swindle
the government by dealing liquor to
their customers in egg shells, and be-
tween the crusts Of what should be
pies, etc, will probably please them ;
but | am confident it would not suit
the honest people of Wisconsin. Not
outstanding, | think 1t Will not be
many years before the Yankee fanat-
les will see the folly of their false leg
islation.
History conclusively shows that it
is not the duty of civil government to
interfere with the moral rights Of
men, so long as they do not transgress
the laws of nations. Even that great
est Teacher of all showed his recog-
milton To the rights of society by
performing His first great miracle for
society's benefit Chat of turning water
into Wine). Some fanatics claim that
il was wine that would not intoXicate,
but people who think and reason with
the one idea constantly before them to
maintain the truth, and not break
down whole system OF religion, III
order to sustain a sentiment acknowl-
edge them to be in error.
Religion claims that we are free
moral agents Why then should gov
ernments try to take that from us
which it has pleased deity to bestow
| grant that to solicit and persuade
one another, are privileges which be-
long to us all, and the wiser and better
man is morally bound to advise the
less wise and good. But it is true that
all the same considerations which
would Justify i government in tropo-
eating prohibition by means of civil
disabilities. would Justify the propo-
CATION of prohibition by penal laws.
Now if to solicit and persuade are the
only means to win fellow creatures
from the path of wrong To that OF
right iii free country, | would ask
il not under the rule Of the prohibit
ionists, to solicit would mean to tell a
moral statesman that he must abjure
his sentiments against prohibition or
retire from office.
To persuade would mean to tell y
lawyer of distinguished eloquence and
learning, that he shall grow old, while
his pupils are seated above him, be
,,,,ca, Ia onnunt al ,paat fhp prohibition
law Of his country; the Senate, Con-
gress and the Legislature are not for
such us him, he shall see younger men
his interiors in stations and talents
raised above him, while he shall be
shut out from all situations III when
he might exercise his talents with
honor to himself, and advantage to his
country. Now this would be a tyran-
nv and M injustice, for surely the
primary end OF government is purely
q temporal end-the protection OF the
and property of men. q. u.