Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-05-18

Aurkb anu torslhuS SOON OeCatn6 tue
most inveterate smokers in the world
The Czar of all the Russias prohibited
les use in the Empire and threatened
to use the knout for the first offense
and death for the second, and yet the
fumes OF tobacco soon mingled with
the smoke from every hovel in the
vast domain.
We may, however, proftably look
at the effect of sumptuary legislation
in our own land. We will take the
old Colony Of Massachusetts,, where
the God fearing, iron-willed, austere
Puritsns not only banished Quakers
and Anabaptists and burned witches
all for the glory Of God and the good
of mankind, but also undertook to
prescribe the food, drink and apparel
Of the citizens, and to make it crime
in any one who did not obey these
regulations. In the records OF the
Colony for Sept 8, 1884, "it is ordered
that victuallers or keepers OF ordinary
shall not suffer any tobacco to be
taken into their houses, under penalty
OF IS. for every offense, to be paid by
the victualler, and I'D. by the party
that takes it, and that .no person
shall take tobacco publicly under the
penalty Of Is. 3d., nor privately into
his own house, or in the house of
another, before strangers, and that
two or more shall not take 1t together
anywhere under the aforesaid penalty
for every ofense." By the same
records we learn that in 1884 it was
ordered "That Robert Cole, for drunk
enness committed by him at Roxbury,
shall be disfranchised, wear about his
neck and SO to hang upon his outward
garment, a d, made of red cloth and
set upon white, to continue this for
year. and not to leave it off at any
time when he comes amongst company
under penalty of forty shlllings for
the first offense and FIVE pounds for
the second" In 1886, "Peter Busaker
was sentenced for drunkenness to be
whipped, and to have twenty stripes
sharply inflicted, and fined FIVE pounds
for sighting the magistrate" Yet,
with alitthese measures, drunkenness
did not abate in the colony, and in
l64s, the legislative authority was
compelled TO confess that ut is found
by experience, that great quantity
of wine is spent, and much thereof
abused to excess Of drinking and unto
drunkenness itself, notwithstanding
all the wholesome laws provided and
published for the preventing thereof
In 1861, they say, tive acknowledge
it to be a matter of much difficulty, in
regard of the blindness of mems minds
and the stubbornness of their wills, to
set down exact rules TO confine all
sorts of persons. s." In 1916, they said,
"any strict laws against the sin will
not prevail until the cause is taken
away"
When the iron-will Of the Puritan,
governing but few failed in the at
tempt to enforce sumptuary laws, is it
not marvellous that in these enlighted
days. with our advanced ideas Of per-
sonal liberty and individual RESPONSE
bility, pen will attempt to enforce on
thousands measures which have ever
proven failures even in parental gov
ernmena.
Morality cannot be legislated into
men and laws enacted for that pur
pose are worse than futile, and the ap-
pearance which such laws have Of in
fringing personal liberty gives sym.
pathy and strength to opposition,
wholesome laws into contempt and
leads to notification. "Unless tie
cause is taken away " says the Puritan.
What is the cause2 Clearly the weak
ness Of human nature. There must be
given to the tempted mortal strength
sufficient to resist the temptation. The
servile feeling Of fear cannot give
thls-criminal laws will never do it.
Says Mill in his work on Liberty:
ssIf there be among those whom it is attempted to
coerce into prudence or temperance any of the ma
teral of which vigorous and independent characters
made they will nfallibly rebel against the yoke
No such person will ever feel that others have right
to control him in his concerns, such as they have
to prevent him from injuring them In theirs and IL
easily comes to be considered mark of spirit and
courage to fly In theface Of such usurped authority
and do with ostentaton the exact opposite Of what 1t
enjoins; in the fashion Of srossness which suc-
ceeded in the time Of Charles H. to the fanaticalin
tolerance Of the Puritans."
All history teaches us that the only
road leading to true greatness, indi--
yidual and national. is the largest in