The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-09-12
AS A PROHIBITIONIsT.
Ills Prohibition Address to the Voters Of
Guadalupe.
A Truly Versatile Candidate.

Since Mr.. Ireland has jumped the demo-
cratic platform on the school question and
adopted five months plank of his own,-and
since he has, acknowledged his know. nothing
ism, it will not be surprise to the people oS
Texas to learn that recently, to-wit, in the
spring OF 1877 he joined the prohibition party.
In January, 1877, the county court of Guada-
uPe county ordered an election on the local
option question, and the friends of prohibition
chose committee of three, Messrs. Howe
Y. Peyton, Jno. Ireland, w. r. Neal, to pre-
pare an address in favor of local option. This
address was published in the Seguin Times,
and of course Jno. Ireland has copy of it
his pocket for use in local option commune
ties. 1t certainly is good joke on the dem
ocracy that both the governor and lieutenant.
governor on the ticket are members of the
prohibition party.
We have applied for a copy of the address,
and hope that Bro Yandeli, of the Times.
will publish it in order to help Ireland out.
We take the following article from the Calves
ton News OF January 3Ist, 1877, commenting
upon Judge lreand's able temperance adj
dress:
The Sesun Times prints long and able
address on the local option question, signed
by Messrs. Howe Y. Peyton, John Ireland
and w. X. Neal, who were appointed at
public meeting held in Seeuin January 9Th,
1877, committee to prepare an address set
ting forth to the people in clear and intelll-
gible form the benefits which are likely to re-
suit to the county by the adoption and enforce
ment OF what is known as the local option
law. This committee is composed of men OF
the highest intelligence, who have had the
best opportunities OF becoming acquainted
with the legal and practical bearing of the
question. They make no question of the
constitutonality Of the law, yet do not claim
that it is the best that could be devised. They
say, however. that to regulate, restrain or pro-
hibi' the traffic in Intoxicating liquors. is a
legitimate subject of legislation; that it works
neither wrong nor oppression to any person or
class OF persons, and that it attacks none of
the natural and inalienable rights that properly
belong to any individual member of society.
Decisions OF the U. 5. supreme court to this
effect are quoted at length. Judge Yapcy, for
example, has said:
''lf any state deem the retail and internal
traffic in ardent spirits nurious to its citizens,
and calculated TO produce idleness, vice and
debauchery, see nothing in the constitution
OF the United States to prevent it from regu-
latng and restraining the traffic, or from pro-
hibitng it altogether if it thinks proper
Judge Mclean says:
"lhe license laws Of Massachusetts are es-
sentialy police laws enactments similar in
principle are common to all the states A
great moral reform which enlisted the Judge
ments and excited the sympathies Of the pub
lie has given notoriety to this course of lepisa-
| lofa l,,
limit. The acknowledged police power of a
state extends often to the destruction of pro-
perry, nuisance may be abolished everything
prejudicial to the health or morals of Ia city
may be excluded and in extreme cases may be
thrown into the sea.
ut is power essential to self preservation
and exists necessarily in every organized com
munity. IL is indeed law Of nature and DOS
sessed by man in his individual capacity. He
may resist that which does him harm wheth-
er ne be assaulted by an assassin or approach
ed by poison. And it is the settled construc-
ton of every regulation of commerce that I'M
der the sanction of its general laws no person
can introduce into any community malignant
diseases or anything which contaminates its
morals or endangers its safety
individuals in the enjoyment
of their own rights must be careful not to
lnJure the rights O! others. In the progress of
population, of wealth and civilization new and
vicious indulgences spring up which require
restraints which can only be imposed by legis-
lative power"
The address, which has evidently had the
beneht OF the high legal talent of Judge Ire
land. continues:
''lt is we'll established principle of politi-
cal science, and will hardly be controverted
that society has the right through the agency
o. government, which is its creature to restrain
or remove from its midst any existing evil, the
presence of which has tendency 10 contami-
nate the morals or to destroy the life of its
members. Such an evil we recognize in the
lndlScrlminate use of alcohol, which according
to the most eminent medical authorities is an
acid poison destitute of any nutritive sub
stance, and when persisted in as a beverage
will produce physical degeneration, weaken
and destroy the powers of the mind
and induce general disease, as
we'll marked scarlet fever, smallpox or
measles, But the evil does not stop here. II
is Of all others the most prolific source of nov
erty, disease and crime, and in its long con-
tlnued and wide spread desolations Tas de-
sfoyed more bodies and damned more souls
than all The sieges that have been laid and all
the batlles that have been fought since the
foundation OF the world. The local option
law seeks to restrain this evil by prohibiting
the sale OF intoxicating liquors within certain
prescribed boundaries
ut proposes to close the doors Of the oroo
shops where the idle. the vicious and he de.
PRAYED are wont to Coneregate to remove a
perpetual end powerful temptation from bef re-