Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1881-06-16
WINSTON n c., THURSDAY, JUNE 16 1881

was bound to rake it, A acting nm.
der the old Revenue Act, before
the Prohibition law was even con
ceived, certainlyshad none.
1t is not necessary to the strength
of this position to maintain that g
license issued byR State is in the
nature of a contact. It may be
conceded that it is not, but is rath-
er the evidence of the exercise of a
sovereign power that by the exer-
else again OF the same sovereign
power may be revoked. But such
an admission does not concede that
the act of revocation may be made
or done in anything less than a
proper and legal manner. The
fact is simply that no such revoca-
tion has been made or even at
tempted.
Does it not appear then that if
these two Revenue acts are of
''full force and effect" the Prohi
bltion Act cannot be? 1 think so
and l think it can be successfully
maintained that by the very pro
visions of law of subsequent date,
upon which the entire State reve-
nues depend, revenues too that have
already been appropriated, the
Prohibition Act is void and of no
effect, or else common sense, COM
mon justice and good logic are not
necessary parts component OF le-
gal enactment.
| raise here another phase of the
question, by pointing out discrep-
ancv of opinion between Judge
Merrimon and Senator Bayard
The great statesman and jarlst of
Delaware says, in substance, that
the attempt to leave the punish
ment of criminals to be adjudged
and inflicted through the medium
Of the ballot-box, would be utterly
at variance with our theory of
government. This is exactly what
the prohibition act proposes to do.
Senator Bayard was using the most
extremely improbable instance of
legislative absnrdity that occurred
to his imagination then in iIlustra-
tion of his argument against local
option in Delaware. He had no
idea that North Carolina Legis-
lature would, SO to speak matcri-
alize' his conccit SO soon.
Many ardent Prohibitionists have
aswailcd, and many excellent law
yers OF the State have admitted,
the manifold weaknesses of the act
be passed. Nevertheless it "a the
piece de resistance Of the Prohibi-
tion menu, the rallying point of a
Prohibition movement. 1t offers
an opportunity to measure the ex-
tent of Prohibition sentiment in
the State, and to organize its expo
nents. 1t is stcpping-stone to
something beyond.
AS such, rathe: than as a law
effective to check the evils of i'll :
temperance, 1t is accepted By the
Prohib;tionlsts. One cannot help
but think, from a perusal of Judge
Merrimon's letter. that he does not
in reality differ from those who
hold these opinions, but that he
deems it the part of prudence to
defend his weakest part and to en-
courage his followers while he re-
fuses to the enemy what encourage
ment they might draw from dam
aging admissions and covers up
from their view the real goal Of his
attack.
Permit me to add that I am as
much in favor of temperance and
AS much opposed to intemperance
as Judge Merrimon can possibly
be-. For that and many other rea-
sons, l am, like Senator Bayard ,
opposed to prohibitory legislation
as aggrevaing the evils it seeks to
cure, while engcndering, fostering
and multiplying new and greater
wrongs
Very respectfully,
JACoB FAITHFUL.