Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-03-07
A Few Words on Local Option
from the Alex. Gazette.l

As what Is called 'local option" OF
the submission to the voters Of par
ticular district the question whether II
censes to sell liquor shall be granted In
that district. is being agitated in Vir
xipia, it may not be amiss to state,
briefly, our views upon the subject, and
in doing 80, let US first say that We ~ :
gret having to take groundin oppose
ton to what appears, at first sight. q
movement in the interest of morality
Were we convinced that 1t was really
such, our opposition would be materi-
ally lessened, If not entirely abated
We say lessened, because there are grave
objections even to the accomplishment
OF u great good by the means proposed.
The Roman historian, Sallust, in speak
ing of the atrocities of Sylis, says that
they had all presidents; good men com
mended the execution of robbers and
abandoned wretches without due re
gard to the legal forms, and soon after
wards found themselves condemned
though innocent, in the same manner
Now, as then. men become familiarized
with departures from great principle
meas IL es u, rentiy calculated to ef1ect
some great public good, and It 10 pre-
Q that the wise men should study theil
pr bable consequences.
EIn form OF government like ours
where the majority has, ordinarily, the
right to rule, that right 10 apt to bt
pushed too far, for VIII Oh reason onl
forefathers surrounded it with restric'
IONS calculated to preserve the individ'
ual rights of the private citizen Fol
example, the majority may think II
necessary to worship God in q certain
manner, and may even believe that the
salvation of every man depends upon
his doing so; that would certainly fur
nish strong ground for endeavO1ng t.
compel every body to 60 worship? ye
our fundamental law fOrbids the slight
est interference with The rights of con-
seie nee, even indirectly, and protects
the individual in the right to worship
in sny manner. or even not to wor-hip
at ell. Would any one now abridge
that right?
Now, apply this to the sale of liquor
Thousands of men drink moderately
aud give no trouble to nybody; hun
dreds, perhaps, drink to excess, dissi-
pate their means, commit crimes, and
reduce their families to poverty. "Cul
Oh al Lne llquOF, says tno locdt up
ZIONIST in other words, because few
men abuse their right to take q drink,
all must be deprived of that right. The
rule, if carried to Its logical consequen,
ces, would reach many other things be.
sides liquor drinking, and the laws Of
Lycurgus would be mild compared with
the tyranny we would live under. The
aires ruin some men. therefore we must
nave no more theatres; balls are some
times Objectionable, therefore nobody
must dance; tobacco can be proved to
be injurious. therefore nobody must
smoke or chew, and SO on Gd intanituns.
The blue laws would be revived and
made more stringent, for the worst ele-
ments of New England puritanism
would find resurrection. Once estab
lish the principle that the use is to be
prohibited because of the abuse. and
there is no telling to what the principle
may lead, and yet it is the very basis Of
this local option movement.
So much for the objection to the prin.
ciple we reserve our reasons for believ
iug that the policy proposed Is not good
even we're the principle sound one.