The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-01-04

power, unFe1eQ BY constitutional rec
strictions, without entailin9 the great
oTexbalanee of evils en- the other
hand, from futile attempts to inn
pose uniform and unadaptive
regulations. Il is net sufiN
cient answer to this. to say that.
the increased measure of evils suffered
in localities where the prohibition
laws are dlsregarded IS simply . conse-
quence of their disobedlence; for while
this may be true, and disregard of any
law Is matter to be deprecated, it is
no less true that body of people do
not change their habits, customs, SEN
tlments. opinions and modes of life,
which they do not admit or believe to
be bad, at the behests of would be re-
formers. or even constitutions or stat
utes. And whether this is a matter of
commentator or blame is Indifferent
in the consideration of this qnestioH;
it remains an obstinate fact, as old and
as ornament as human nature, that
laws do not mould and fashion the
character of men nor make them re-
hgious or. moral unless the coerciye
power of the law is supported by the
honest Judgment of the greater part
of the community. The Law is made
for man. not man for law; fact reeoR-
nized by high authority nearly two
thousand years ago, and in all legisla-
ton fer the restraint of the actions or
inelinatIons of the people; their follies.
education and habits of life, as we'll as
their vices, must be considered BY him
who would succeed as law maker.
It can scarcely be considered other
wise than as a mistake, to have adopted
as part of the constitution a provision,
concerning the wisdom and expediency
OF which there exists in the community
so great and prevalent diversity of
opinion, which will necessarily assert
itself with an intensity not wholly
without passion, at each recurring peri
cd when under the constitution and
laws the people are called upon to
exercise their choice in the election of
officers to administer the government.
Fhusi happens that the constitution
itself, instead of fixing the most gene
raj outlines of state policy upon which
there exists general agreement aud
harmony, presents a question that
serves to provoke perpetual conflict
and strife. Such a condition of things
can have no other effect than to weak
en- those feelings of respect and venera-
tutes the chief guaranty of free insti-
tutIons, and the reflex influences upon
the people will be OF the most perni-
cious character.
Temperance is virtue that all good
citizens should practice and observe.
1t tends to make people better citizens,
and elevates the moral tone of society
and, like religion, it should be the
common property of all, and no politi-
cal party can appropriate that virtue
to itself. 1t is too sacred to be
made a political question of, and the
thoughtful, earnest temperance worker,
the man who recognizes the fact thai it
takes time to Vi rk out great reforms,
and that coercion is not the best means
to effect such noble work or reforma-
tions, is the true temperance reformer
who teaches by example, and persuades
the judgment by argument instead of
coercion and jealous intolerance. He
recognizes the fact that ours is free
country where the principles of indi-
vidual liberty have taken deep root in
the minds of the people, and that
they are jealous of any at
tempt TO interfere with the personal
liberty of the citizen, especially with
| laws that are made in restraint of the
individual actions and customs of the
people, one that besets them with spies
or informers, or subjects them TO
petty criminal annoyances, instigated
by busy bodies, or self constituted con-
SENATORS of the temperance cause, or
attempt TO regulate their conduct when
they do not trench on or invade the
rights of others, or that attempt to
| 70 hax eIrn 81, a.
life or conduct, whether that dictation
attempts to interfere with the exercise
of free speech, religious beliefs OF
opinions, to their drink, or diet, SO long
as they do not offend against the rule.
and customs of society, or the individ.
ual rights of others.
The people of Kansas are a temper
ance people, and will favor and Loyalty
support and enforce any proper law
that will advance the cause of temper
ance and morality, but they are opposed
to shams or systems of law that annoy
them, and defeat their own execution
by their own Incorporate provisions
and penalties During the -fasi
year of local option and Ii
eense, the United States revenue
Office of Kansas issued eleven hundred
anu 1uA4 ~ kAs4OGI pei ullA5 " rel
intoxicating liquors, or one permit tt
879 persons, placing Kansas as the first
temperance state in the union; while
in the first year of prohibition there
were issued 1888 permits, an increase
of CSC, and also an increase of fifty.
eight per cent. or one permit to 551
persons. and taking Kansas from the
first and ranking her the seventh tenn
perance state, while in the first
forty five days of the second year Of
prohibition 1,148 permits were issued
sixteen more than IN the whole year
of local option and license. If we con.
slider these facts in connection with the
clan6eStine sales of intoxicating liquors
and consider the vast amount that Is
daily delivered to individuals in con-
eealed packages, by express companies.
we are forced to the conclusion that
the cause of true temperance reform
has not progressed very rapidly under
our present coercive system. These
facts forcIbly remind us that we are liv>
ing under Republican form of govern
ment, of and by the people, and they
make the laws as we'll as enforce them,
and no community will enforce a law
upon itself dlstasteful to it.
The people as a whole make the laws,
but each separate locality and eommu-
nifty, for themselves, enforce them, if
thew ara mt IN oneration at all HENCE