Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-09-07

two-fold. The one, the physical, moral and
mental decrepitude, pauperism, domestic sor-
row and crime to which the traffic leads The
other, the burden of taxation which these en-
tail on the sober, industrious and frugal tax
payer to meet the costs and expenses OF Grim
inal procedure and of our benevolent, charit-
able and punitive institutions. Tho former
class. OF evil Is purely private and personal,
which can be restrained or provided against,
but imperfectly, without supprcssing their
cause, as the experience Of n century
shows. The latter class Is of pub
lie nature, which, although they may be
but partially prevented by taxation, may be
compensated BY compelling the traffic to bear
tho burdens 1t entails and by relieving the tax
paying industries of the Commonwealth TO
this extent from its public evils. Accordingly
the Legislature, last winter, not expecting, nor
even hoping 70 inaugurate the millennium, or
do horethan suppress the disreputable, ire
sponsible dives in which the youth, the inebri-
alto and the habitual drunkard are with i'm
punity indulged in defiance of severe penal
ties against it, but hoping and expecting TO re-
,lieve The tax-paying public in the manner
stated, suggested the feasibility of taxing the
traffic, and embodied 1t in the Scott Law. The
measure has not disappointed the expectation
of its authors thus far. What il may accom-
termine.
The recent decision of the Supreme Court
has affirmed the authority OF the Legislature
to impose this tax. This has simpltied the
situation. In the course of its reasoning it
expressed the opinion that the General Assem-
bly, might by statute prohibit the beverage
traffic, If 1t deemed such measure necessary TO
the exercise OF the police power vested by the
clause authorizing it to provide against the
evils thereof, which Judge Hoadly voted into
the Constitution. Heretofore opinion has been
divided as to the power of the General Assem-
ly, to reach any subject of taxation
other than those enumerated in Article
IL of the Constitution. Uncertain
how the Court might hold on the question
presented by the Scott Law. and conceiving an
adverse decision possible, it embodied the tax
alton clause in the first amendment submitted,
that it might have Constitutional sanction and
all division of opinion be removed. Since its
submission, the decision of the Supreme Court
affirming the power of the Legislature under
the present Constitution, renders the adoption
of that clause OF the amendment no longer a
practical necessity if the decision be permitted
to stand.
There is, however, practical necessity eI-
listing and mperious, and which in view of the
possibility that neither amendment be
adopted, should guide and control our politi-
cal action. succeeding Legislature can re-
peal the Scott Law; succeeding Court can re-
verse the decision of its predecessor. 1t is
possible to revolutionize the sentiment of both
the Legislature and Court at the ensuing cleo
ton Should an event SO unfortunate result,
and the repeal or reversal ensue, absolute free
trade in intoxicants is the consequence, with
out the means of enforcing compensation in
any part, for public evils, costs and expenses
the traffic entails on the thrifty, frugal, order
loving tax-paying portion of society, to say
nothing of its unrestrained power over indi-
vidual and domestic happiness. Is it wise,
then to lose sight of this possibility and in the
enthusiasm of zeal to grasp perfection, let slip
forever, it may be, the partial good already
attained?
You have no doubt observed that in his
speech of the 18th inst, at Zoar, Judge Hoadly,
renouncing his youthful temperance zeal and
his subsequent conviction in favor of egisla-
tive control, endeayors to force partisan issue
on the amendments and the principle OF
liquor traffic taxation. In his vehemence he
makes unconditional opposition to them the
test OF Democracy and term of Democratic
communion, vociferously proclaiming that he
wants the vote OF no citizen favoring
and test of faith, he proclaims that the
Democratic creed and platform are founded
on principles eternal and unchanging,
fundamental among which is the per-
sonal liberty to traffic in intoxicants, any
restraint or burdening OF which is sumptuary
legislation, within the meaning OF and as con-
demned by the Democratic platform; that the
Scott Law and the prohibitory amendment
are in the strictest sense sumptuary infringe
ments on the personal liberty of the citizen
against which the Democratic platform com.
mands him and the legons of the faithful to
raise their voices and the sword of Allah.
This heated pronunciamento is the more re-
markable from the fact that the same creed,
platform and test OF faith demand the license
of the traffic. rigorous, severe, iron-handed
license, as the Judge expressed it at Hemil
ton, whereby some shall be favored and
others excluded, and all subject to sur
veillance, control and forfeiture OF privilege
which, if restraint be sumptuary, is sumptua
ry legislation pronounced, palpable and flag
rant, and all this embodied in and issuing out
of 1one and the same creed of principles, eterna
and unchanging The demand of those who
dictate this creed, but dare not openly pro
claim it, is what it was in the Convention o.
1874, that legislative power to license the
traffic, and nothing else shall be engraftec
upon the Constitution, giving to it the irreyoca
bic immunity and protection of organic law
without the power of legislative disturbance
License or nothing, is the shibboeth thus in
scribed on the banner of Democracy.
On the other hand, the shibboleth inscribed
on the banner OF the third party, Prohibition
lists, is, prohibition or nothing. With We
hemence only surpassed by that of Judge
Hoadly and the resolutions OF the associated
liquor Dealers they denounce the Scott Law a,
q league with death and q covenant with hell
q copartnership OF the State with the liquol
dealers in 'blood money! extracted by then
from their victims. "For 5000 you may manu-
facture all the drunkards you please, is the
promise and effect of the Scott Law" Judge
Hoadly. "For two hundred dollars you may
manufacture all the drunkards you please, |.
the promise and effect of the Scott law" re
peats the third party, Prohibitionists. They
strike hands in demanding its repeal with al
its consequences. The Judges implacabIe hos
tility is especially directed against the McCon
nesvile clause of the law which enacts thai
municipal corporations shall have power "Tc
regulate, restrain and prohit ale, beer and por
ter houses or shops; and houses and places o.
notoriou, or habitual resort for tippling or in
temperance" He forgets that this is but re
pty ,,sT.trftun Of q former
nally enacted by the same Democratic Legisla
ture, of eternal and unchanging principles
which elected Allen G.. Thurman to the Unite,
States Senate. (66 vel. o. L., page lsl, sub sec
8 OF sec 1897.
His patriotic objection, urged at zoar agains
the law, is that it drives from the traff
the crippled soldier and the soldier
widow who is dependent on it for support bu
is too poor 10 pay the tax. A Nation of fft,
millions saved by the sacrifices and cementet
by the blood OF patriotism, that would shoy
| itself so shamelessly lost to the sentiment o
gratitude as by neglect to drive its maine,
heroes for support into beggaring the wives
vagabondizing the children and brutalizin
the moral sense OF their surviving com
ly damned? What, then, ahall be said of
political party which processes t
feed on principle and blossom only with vir
tues, whose statesmen, boasting their patriot
ism, seek power in order TO perpetuate the de
grazing uepenuencc oi Ihtse iilaiineu htroe
| for subsistence on q traffic in which they shal
enjoy the glorious personal liberty of destroy
ing more of their countrymen than they de
stroyed Of the enemy in battlel Contemplat
the spectacle, soldier of the Union in mad
house, his wife in the alms-house, his childre
in squalor and ragsl But what are these, i
the eyes of Jeffersonian Democracy, {
that personal liberty of his MANNED conrad
to derive support from the sad necessity of hi
dependence on traffic which reduced ther
to this? Yet such are the methods and pos
ton of Jefiersonian Democracy. Mockin
the people with the phantom of constitutions