Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-06-07
The Opiam Law.

Eprroa News: I have noticed BY
reports Of court proceedings Published
In the Nrws, that the authorities Of this
county are s~ndsavoring to prevent our
people from smoking opium. AsI quss-
tion the right Of the State to enact and
execute laws Of the nature Of the present
opium Law. I wish to say Z few words
With reference to the matter.
While I admit that the practice Of
smoking opium 10 . psrnieious one. and
that the effects Of IN intsmpsrats use OF
opium are bad, I claim that the State
has no right, except that OF might, to
enact laws the operation Of which inter.
fsrs with the natural. inherent rights
and privileges OF Its citizens. II cannot
be denied that I have the sams moral
right to smoke opium that the members
OF our last Legislature have to smoke to-
baeco or to drink whisky; YET that body
Of men, most Of whom indulge in The
vices common to the times, passed . Law
to prevent opium smokers from indulg.
ine their tastes In . less harmful way
than they (ths lseislators) do theirs.
Suppose the members OF our last Legis.
laturs Who never drink water, honestly
believe that water 10 hurtful to mankind.
would that belief have warranted them
In passing . Law to prohibit their con-
stituents from drinking waterf The i'm.
prudent and incorporate use OF cold
watsr has caused the death OF many .
man; but because Of that fact may .
legislative body say their constituents
shall net Ss permitted to drink vstsrf
Il IL true that smoking opium may
make Q physical wreck OF him who in
dulgss In the practice. but smoking
opium does not induce its dsvotses to
commit the deeds OF violence. yea, deeds
OF murder, that the intsmpsrats use OF
LIQUOR does with its victims. Who ever
heard OF an opium smoker turning bis
vile and children out Of doors into the
cold storms Of winterf Who ever knew
an opium smoker to 60 bowling through
the streets at midnight. disturbing the
peace Of the nsiehborhood2 And what
causes the barroom bravlsr 10 draw his
pistol on the sliRhtsst provocationf II
Il opium or whiskyf
The fact 10, raids upon the dsfsnselsss
Chinamen who make opium smoking
possible, are full Of fun TO those who
engage in them. and are popular
with . certain GLASS Of our people. But
II the Law authorized raids upon our
whisky drinking people. the fun would
mot Be- % great, nor the acts 20 popular.
Somsbody's else OF would then Be gored.
The State may perhaps possess the
right 70 regulate the sale OF opium. % I!
does regulate the sale Of liquors and
drugs, and gunpowdsr. bat It has no
| riaht TO prohibit its NE. The fact thai
the general government imposes an i'm
post duty upon opium carries With thai
act the undoubtsd right Of the importer
to sell and use opium. This PROPOSE
ton cannot b. successfully c~ontrovsrtsd.
The principles involved In IL have been
afirmstivsly determined BY the courts Of
our Eastern States time and time again.
And I believe that the opium cases 70.
Gently passed upon BY our Justice oil
the Peace will not stand the test Of an
appeal to our Supreme Court. Our law!
should accord equal justice to oil. and
surtail NO ones natural rights. Just "a
the sxtsnt that our laws infringe upon
the inherent rights Of any man. Just to
| that extent they are In conflict with the
spirit Of our republican form Of eoysrs'
msnt. v. ~
COIN HUI, June q, 1881.