West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-04-20
FROM FAYETTE COUNTY.
Il Prohibition Legislation Lesiti-
mate

ance Banner is unfurled to the
breeze, and all hands concede the
Importance of educating pubIlc
opinion on the subject, IN order
that civil legislation shall receive
adequate support and the laws Of
the country be properly enforced
il is highly important to bulld our
efforts upon principles unquestlon-
ABLY sound. The doctrine has
been advanced that legislation has
nothing to do with what we are to
eat or drink, and that it is an AFRO
CANT assumption for legislators to
NEEDLE with the subject; and that
the prohibitory clause in the State
Constitution, asked for, ought not
to be granted This question occu-
pies such a position in the main
premises, as the foundation Of all
Legislation on the subject, that due
attention should be given to It,.
True, the right tolegislatc has been
assumed and exercised, but with
some of the advocates of the bstcraGe
it is vet an open question.
Having moved in religious at
mosphere mainly through life, | am
not as well postedin the arguments
pro and con, as politicians may be,
but would naturally suppose that
the good of society-the greatest
good to the greatest numbers
the basal idea Of all wise and prop
err legislation. In framing the
"Bill of Rights" our Revolutionary
Fathers define the objects Of civil
government thus: "To establish
Justice, insure domestic tranquility,
provide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare, and
secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our posterity.' Man
was made for society and law is
necessary to the government of any
social compact, and should be so
framed that the highest degree Of
prosperity and happiness might be
secured. In the consideration of
all questions affecting the interests
of society, Legislators should make
the most impartial and wisest pro-
visions for the welfare of the whole.
The interests of tie producer, as
well as the consumer, should be
held in strict subordination to the
interests of the whole compact.
The family government was the
first one on earth, and out Of it all
other governments grew, and in it
may be found the clements Of all
human governments. The father
exercised the right Of governing
the family, subordinate to the will
of his Maker, and the prosperity
and happiness of all under his
charge controlled his parental adj
ministration, in which the physi-
cal, intellectual and moral welfare
Of all were provided for. And is it
not a fact Of much significance, that
the only law on record, given to
man in the Garden of Eden, is one
prescribing his diet, even when he
was in a state Of perfect holiness,
and when his human Instincts. it
might be presumed, would dictate
what he should eat. But his Max
er said to him: "Of every tree of
the garden thou mayest freely eat,
but Of the tree Of the knowledge of
good and evil, thou shalt not eat Of
it." Why did Adam not reply: II
have right to eat and drink what
| please p But nay; this doctrine
OF tdDieSs indulgence had no exis-
tence save in the mind of his Sa-
tanic Majesty, who proclaimed it
to Mother Eve, to her ruin, and to
the ruin Of her race. 1t was over
stepping this prohibitory legisla-
ton, as to what man should eat,
and OF course what he should drink,
that brought death into the world
and all of our woes. And parents
exercise the same prerogative in
prescribing their children's diet.
We See in the law Of Moses, the
same principle assumed in the pro-
hlbition OF some beasts, birds and
fish, and in allowing others, to be
eaten, which clearly assumes the
right IN question, to legislate as to
what man should eat and drink,
and what he should not. In the
tactS alreadN s11hn.ittnd IL dao4.;