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

puDtiC d lew IeHtdThs Otl one OIL the III
gradients Of the pot-the temperance
question. 1t is certain that the prohi-
bition issue is very prominent in the
present contest. and that it viii mater
tally influence the result of the APP
preaching election, for its friends are
aggressive and its opponents have dom
ned their offensive armor. 1t viii do
nobody harm then to hear plain mans
views on the subject-for, | believe
that this question, like every other, can
be measured By the rule of common
sense, if you can but induce people to
Law aside prejudice and view the sub
iect calmly and dispassionately ] take
it that nobody viii deny the evils Of in
temperance, or the eXpediency of pro-
noting the opposite virtue of sobriety.
The records of our courts, our prisons
and asylums for the insane, not to
speak Of many OF the unWritten domes-
tic tragedies, viii satisfy any one on
this subject. The disease is certainly
in our midst, and in Il very aggravated
form, but is there any remedy in legis
lation that can reach it, or one that Will
not replace it by greater evil! Two
things 4 legislator ought always to
keep i'm yieW-one. THE PROBABILITY
of accomplishing what he proposes by
any particular law, and the other, the
danger of doing evil ON the chance that
rood may come from it. \ law that can
not be enforced is worse than No law,
for the failure to enforce it throws
contempt on legislation. and the law
maker ought never to train the people
to disregard legitimate authority.
Again, to do q wrong, because Of pro-
spectiYe good, is opposed to all our
ideas Of morality, and it never fails to
defeat its own object, for the evil is at
once apparent, While the good is, per-
haps, in the distant future, if indeed,
it can at all spring from 4 source dia-
metically opposite to its nature. Now,
let every man lay aside prejudice and
ask himself: can pr0hiDitory liquor
law, while aiming at good, work injus-
tice to any one? A very intelligent gen.
tleman made remark to me some
time ago, which struck me very f0rci-
bly,. We were talking about the various
views that men held on the subject of
religion, when he said there were two
things which every people ON earth,
from the most civilized to the most de-
graded, were sure to haye-sOme kind
of religion and some kind of eXhilarat-
ing drink. The remark was not made,
and it is not now repeated, for the pur-
pose Of holding up the things mentioned
as being Of equal Importance, but as q
fact going to show that both are neces-
stiles of our nature, although IN vastly
different degrees, and that men viii
have them under all circumstances
Now let us suppose that the manufac-
ture and sale OF ardent spirits were to-
day prohibited in West Virginia, and
is there any man who is enthusiastic
j Ii
cease? Why, the now peaceful PotO-
mae would at once be fretted by in
Vulnerable oars and keels, trading
with our neighbor, Maryland, as would
tie Ohio, and every river that separates
ms from a Whiskey producing state.
Virginia and Kentucky would supply
our southern and southwestern bOr-
ders. and if these States should, some
day. pass >Drohibitory enactments, we
have. to my own certain knowledge,
plenty Of native genius and enterprise
10 utilize the solitary glens of our
mountains, as has been done from time
immemorial and is now done by moon
sinners, in spite OF most vigorous
revenue law. Sumptu0ry enactments
have failed in every age Of the world.
Ia laws Of church or of state have ever
yat succeeded In regulating the calls
of the appetite or Of fashion. All the
authority of the church, backed by the
King of England, failed TO stop the fool
ish fashion Of wearing long-pOinted
shoes. which the gallants OF that king
dom at one time carried on to such an
absurd extent, and this ut a time when
fhe influence of the church and of the
monarch far exceeded that Of any law
making power ON this continent. some
wears ago the courts Of jefferson
county. our next door ighbor.refusCd
license 10 WhisEey-5 ask amy
candid man In that county what good
was effected. 70 my own knowledge
tbpre was more drunkenness and gem
oral disorder i'm that county that year
than MI anv period in its history-War
times excepted. The people WOULD
have Whiskey and they GOT IT some
how and some where, and many of them
who before used to take an occasional
drink at bar bought il by the jugful
and kept it in their own houses con-
slant temptation and more dangerous
one from its comparative cheapness.
The state and county lost the license
money. and virtue and morality gained
nothing. From time immemorlal the
British government has endeaFored to
stop Illegal distillati0n, not from a
source of its immortality, but because
tbev succeededY Although there lis a
regular organized, armed and uni
formed force of Revenue Police, for the
express purpose Of suppressing this
trade, tourists to Donegal, the High
lands Of Scotland. or the famous Bor-
der Land of the Armstrong;, and the
Flliotts. will have no difficulty in get
ting a taste OF 1.-The Mountain Dew, "
provided he is supposed TO be sound
on the goose" which he had better be-,
if he means to return with a whole
hide. At amy respectable bar in Balti-
more you can get scotch on Irish whis-
KEY which was made in spite of the
power ofGreat Britain, and yet tasting
Of the peat-bog in which it was secretly
manufactured. The truth is, man may
be coaXed into goodness, although even