The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-04-15

The Right Of Society to Legislsts Against
the Sale Of spirituous Liquors.

Auo nlSnt OF 0ocloty 70 16&ulato Ag&uSt
the Sale Of spirituous Liquors. j
Editor Chronicle
It is with feeling akin to SORROW, q
deep depression Of mind, and feeling of
shame for the citizens of America. that
| venture before the public, to attempt
to ''show up" some Ut the evils at
tending the sale and consumption Of
spiritnous Liquors. This growing evil,
this stigma upon the intellect aud
character Of man, this Satanic lure,
this DEVILS agent, (alcohol) has caused
more trouble, more distress, more
heartrending sights, more wants and
privarions, than any other one article
manufactured since the world begun.
1t is a Pandora's box Of evils. 1t is
armed with fatal capacity to drestIoy.
The fruit of this tree il death. 1t
has the power Of pervrrting the natu-
ral instincts and tastes of body and
miud, aud to recreat man iuto the slave
Of perverted appetite. It is u pesti-
lence which walketh in the darkness,
aud which wasteth in the MONDAY.
1t is the parent Of every crime. 1t
fills the cup Ut misery ever tull. 1t is
the prolific source Of Ignorance, power
ty, idiucy. insanity in all its dreadful
forms, personal ruin. national ruin, SO
cial destrucfion-tbe prime agency Of
hell on earth. These are not witnessed
whose testimony can he denied or
gains,id.. will say nothing of woman
in her rags aud dislieveled hair, with
her wan cheeks and hollow voice, nor
of her children shivering ON the high
way, starving within the shadow ut
churches built to the Most High with
the price OF their blood.
! But the gravity Of the occasion has
passed beyond all resort to touching
appeals and pathetic imagery. The
evil il before us. Its infinite extent
must be admitted There is nothing to
he considered but the remedy aud its
application. What shall this remedy
bel A constitutional law. prohibiting
the manufacture and traffic IN Spirits
Gus liquors within the limits Uf the
Statei Ought this TO he done5
1t is the duty Ut society, through the
agency Of government, which is the
creature Of society, to enact aud enforce
all laws, which, while protecting the
individual in the full possession and
enjoyment Of his rights, promote the
general welfare aud especially when
ever that welfare 10 impaired ar threat
ened by any existing or impending
evil is it the duty of society to enact
and enforce laws to restrict or destroy
that evil. Can this be donef No law
can promote the general welfare which
deprives an individual If an inaliena-
BILE right, when that right is pr perly
defined, or which impairs the enjoy
ment of life, liberty, property, or the
pursuit of happiness. But society has
inalienable rights rs we'll as lndividu-
ais, and the right to enact such laws
as will promote the general welfare is
one of them SOriety being the larger
element, and having moro rights to
protect, should and does have the right
to enact aud enforce such laws. Ne
person has the right to do that to him
self which impairs or perverts his own
powers and when he dOes % to sucl,
an extent as to become burden or u
source of danger to Others, either by
hia example or by his liability to COM
nit acts 1T crime, the law. THAT 10 So
ciety) should protect both him and
itself. A man has no more right to
destroy his inalienable riehts, than he
has to destroy those Of another, or than
another has to deprive him of his own.
These are elementary principles of law
> and common sense. They are the car.
nerstones of all just government. To
these principles every member of sOct-
ETY. is held to have given his assent.
The nee of alcoholic liquors Il, the
extent of intxication Is an injury IA
the individual: it is destructive tn the
general welfare; IL IL Of nature which
may be greatly restricted If not de-
stroy ed by the enforcement of apprs.
pirate laws. Consequently, such laws
could aud should he enacted and en-
forced, and this should bs done by the
State government, or by the general
government, or by both II such laws
can be made more efficient thereby.
If it is such great evil, a. all men
admit it il, we, az guardians for OIL
own rights, of the rights Of our faini-
lies. Of the rights Of society, of fl,s
right Of our common country, would bs
recreant 10 Onr trnst, false to orr 00sl
! and lacking in common sense II WI
were to put forth Nh exerti0n to STOP
the existing evil. Ere it be- too late
let us seize the helm Of the old shil
! and steer her to port Of safety.
g. H. HARvILL.
Ada, La, April LIST. 1852.
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