Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-09-30

I that Is uphill work, but they can never
I be legislated into it. The most you can
! do by law is to prevent one man CON-
hitting overt acts of violence or fraud
/ on his neighbor. You can never force
aman to be any better to himself than he
| chooses to be, and he will invariably re-
| sent any intrusion by any other, in a
| business which he regards rs wholly
hi own, especially if he suspects the
sincerity of the counsellor. We have,
VIGOROUSLY, among us, men OF means
who ADVOCATE temperance loudly
enough and who would not be seen
drinking at a bar, but who take care to
have from distance a key or demi-
John. at home, from which to derive in
spiration in the crusade against the
privileges of the poor man, who can
not afford more than enough for an oe-
casional glass of whiskey or beer, ON a
Saturday night after the hard labor of
the week. fthese Pharisees will give
up their jugs and demijohns the poor
man may be induced to f0rego his hum
BILE pleasure, but let persuasion and
training of public sentimenttry it, for,
my word for it, arbitrary legislation
will accomplish nothing.
So much for the possibility, now for
the justice and eXpediency: A cele-
brated Roman satirist has said, ''Dum
stulti fugiunt vitium in contrafia
currunt," in plain English, while fools
are trying to avoid one fault they are
sure to run into the opposite error. We
all admit the evils Of intemperance,
but in removing that vice are we to root
up all libertyl Because one man be-
comes drunk is another to be deprived
of the privilege of a moderate and per-
haps beneficial indulgence in strong
drink? One man eats too much meat
is that good reason for ab0lishing the
trade of the butcher. Another eats too
much cabbage must gardeners be pro-
hibited from cultiyating that delightful
vegetable? We all see and deplore that
many young girls are led to ruin, and,
indeed, in every large city of the world
the degradation Of fallen women IS tru-
~ horrible. We would stop this, if one
could. but viii the most careful parent
Of a daughter refuse her the privilege
Of receiving attentions OF respectable
Young man. because somebody else's
daughter was led astray. The father
might have the purest intentions in SO
doing, but would he be just, and would
he succeed? / think not, and if he tried
compulsory means. the daughter, in
most cases, would assert her natural
right. and / fear that in many cases
the parents tyranny would accomplish
the very thing he so much dreaded. A
little while before the middle of the 18th
century the Purtans became very pow
erful i'm England. They went to war
with their King and finally put him to
death. He was certainly a deceittul
tvrant. and although his death was
deeply deplored and resented by nearly
half Of the English people, history vim
dictates his eXecuti0ners. Not content
however with abOlishing royalty the
Puritans undertook to bring the nation
up to their standard of morality. They
abolished drinking. gambling and even
dancing. A fiddler was as much pro-
scribed as a witch. and for nine years
the saints had it all their own way.
The inevitable reaction, however,
came, and that with vengeance. The
son Of the decapitated king was re-
called from Punishment. He assembled
the throne and the muse Of history
bushes to recount the wild orgies of
king and people. \ perfect torrent
Of corruption poured over the land,
tainting even the ministers ofreligion,
and not until John Wesley, Il century
after, shamed the English clergy into a
5gmblauce Of decency, was the terrible
moral plague arrested. So will it be
HeTe' MI Lultot71 u tui7 liteh-sl liiteu
people feel the curb. \ deceittul calm
may be spread around us for while,
but il viii be the precursor Of the ihef-
table hurricane. believe II was
Thomas Jefferson VINO sand the best
governed people We're those VINO were
the least governed ! believe myself,
that the easiest man to manage Will be
the one that feels that there IS no wall
built around him BY an oincious soul
saver, ana that the le@9U ieliactoI!
woman viii be the one VINO can nave
pies with appropriate trimmings.