Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-03-24
TIfE NaTloNAL SIN.

The last report OF the Commissioner OF
Internal Revenue shows total receipt Of
Sl35 ,239, ,9l2 for the fiscal year, ending
June 80, 1881. Three-6iths OF this sum,
or ssl 1854. .2l6, was derived from tax on
intox icating liquors.
That is to say, the general government
not only tolerates the crime that ruins the
bodies and souls to hundreds of thousands
Of its subjects, but become an accomplice
in that crime by protecting i,,for a consid.
Grafton of about $82, ,000, 900 annually.
This "blood money" goes to support the
government; it helps to pay the salaries
of President, Cabinet, Senators, and othe RS.
1t is said that about one-si xth of the sala-
ries Of these sfioers is paid by the revenue
from liquor. Whether it be one.sixth or
one -hundredth makes no difference as to
the morality of the fact that the legislators
of this nation are sharers in the profits OF
a traffic that curses the people us no other
conceivable crime could.
We say not that these public officers
are sinners above all others. They are
the servants Of the people, do, as \ rule,
what they are elected TO do, and receive
their pay without realizing that part of
it is the price of blood. 1t il q mistake
to hold them responsible Tor crime
that the people tolerate. 1t is the ma
tional sin for which every man who has
voice and vote is responsible. Not
that all such are equally to blame. Those
can to suppress it, are free from blame.
p,,t svbn dnaa nnf tbna aoc,if
himself Of all completely with this ma
tional sin is, so far, n partieeps eriminalis
in the Wholesale murder aud misery it
causes, and IL guilty before God. 1t is
u maxim in law, that ''the receiver 10
az bad as the thief" This nation receives
a share of the money made by the liquor
crime. And who is the nation7 1--WE,
the people" Each one Of us gets an in
fnitesimal part of the revenue for his
Influence and help in protecting the
| traffic.
1t is useless to answer that the nation
makes no profit Of the liquor traffic. or
course not. We get eightytwo millions
| Of revenue for what Gusts IN over $780,
10000. But that fact aggrnvaies, instead
Of mitigating the sin, by making u its
patrons to the tune Of nbout $500 600.
900. The man who invests in criminal
| business six times as much ma he recei ves
ia, TO say the least, NJ guilty as IL HIS
inve-tment were profitable. 1t does not
lesson the blame that'th taxes imposed
by national, state and municipal govern
ments are supposed To be reprerHive. The
obvious fact that they have not perccp-
tibly diminished The traffic is u sufi-
cient snswer 10 that plea. Nor can we
shield ourselves from blame on the ground
that the EVIL cannot be suppressed, ior
that is not true. ave, the. people," can
suppress il il we will, not merely by re-
fusing to sell or drink Intoxicating
liquors, but by electing men to enact
and execute prohibitory laws. Any gov
port Of the people in the effort, can III
all traffic IN strong drink, ns it can i'm
pose and collect n tax on that traffic. II
is u folly TO say that a government that
can abate a nuisance. can enact aud en-.
force quarantine laws, can destroy
property to protect life, can pul
down rebellion and abolish slavery
cannot prohibit a crime thnt doei
more injury than all these evils put togeth
er could do.
II is not the lack OF ability, but the lack
OF proper sense of individual responai-
bility, that hlndern ,he temperance reform.
We talk about public sentiment aud the
national conscience;" the nation, a. such
has no conscience aud no ain. II is the
individual conscience that needs 10 be
aroused. Each one OF ils needs to realiIs
that so far as responsibility ia concerned,
he 10 the nation, that its ain is his sin, un
lcss he dlsavows and fghts il With all his
might. The hands Of every man who
stands aloot from temperance reform are
red with blood. The sense Of individua
condemnation becomes very slight il we
can manage to share Il with hfiy millions
oi people but in the day Of judgement,
not the nation, but each one Of us, will be
held responsible, il We have not clear ed
our skirts of the national crims by doi ng
all We could Tor is suppression. : Western
| Christian Advocate.