Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-07-20

"
fanniic--that God is not the author Of IN
toxicating liquors, is answered In answer
ing the question. OF what laws uniting
and cooperating 10 create aud control the
least atom, TO those laws, which unite and
cooperate TO crente and control the great
Universe OF God is he not the anihor? lie
that rails agninst nny article Of natures
laws, though God has called into use, TO
produce II, the skill Of man rails against
God. God is the author of alcohol, Ms he
is the author OF heat, light, life, man, etc,
and has decreed that an abuse OF IL, like
an abuse of any other trust, is destructive
TO mans interest. He lays upon man the
responsibility OF the Use OF all the multi
piled millions of the instrumentalties
winch fall at his hand, and man is crimi-
mated and delayed in his mission in subdu.
ing the earth, in the non use ns well M IN
the abuse OF any OF those instrumentali-
ties. Aud for man to pit his wisdom
against the wisdom OF God, and denounce
alcohol as an enemy OF his, rather than re.
gard it as one OF the heaven appointed in
strumentalities to speed him on in his mis-.
sion, is to commit folly bordering on
wickedness. It's mission ia not to make
drtinkards no more than the mission of
silver and gold is TO make thieves or bread
to make dyspeptics; or righteous laws TO
make sinners. That II shall be an article
Of traffic among men is sanctioned by di-
vine trust, and for human legislation TO do
other than control It, is to become an in.
trnder ra ther than protector of rights
and to push that intrusion to the extent
for which prohibitionists call, is to push
il TO open rebellion when the intrusion
will he suppressed. Such legislation as is
called for by the enthusiasts of temper
ance would not carry in darker age than
this, and hence will not carry in this.
That the traffic in liquors is one npon
which to legislate no right minded man
will deny, hut the legislation which gov
,erns il must he similar to that which gov
erns other articles of merchandise. 1t in n
subject Of heavy taxation, while the ex-
perses of the government are great. not
from the tnct TINT the nation il suffering
so intensely from it's abnse, (Which liz
strong incidental argument for heavy taxa.
tion, and nm excuse for a special tax in
rounded up license,) but because it's Use AZ
n luxury mnltiplies many times its use as
a staple article OF life. Every article OF
liquor should he Labelled, and n heavy
fine attached Tor adultera,ion. Sale should
he prohibited to irresponsible parties.
Drunkenness should he crime, and no ex.
cuse for criminal acts. Such code OF
laws preserves the sscred rights Of liberty,
and places man upon the most wholesome
discip ipline, and society receives the best
possible protection that cnn come To free
people.
II Prohibitioniss wouli but note the
awful fact, which, ghost like, rises up
from every page of history, viz: the cause
of all the bloody contests which have
80, s,,lA il,o hns s,F
death as with a flood, is founded in the
laws which u.urped individual rights,
or purposed such usurpation, they would
rise from their infatuation, and would
look upon such religious reaches after
guardianship with the Indignation born
OF frsemen.
| Individual responsibility is God-given,
and heaven. reaching. 1t is the metal
which heavens magnet of righteousness
finds clinging TO it ms it moves among
the children of men. In it centers the
very basis of liberty, and Just in the pro.
portion that is disregarded IN legislation
manhood is depressed. Individual re-
sponsibility is the centre. around winch
humanity must gravitate If she would
risc to formidable proportions and gran
deur of character. The teaching which
makes it other than infinite in strength
belittles it, and is a corrupter of human
ity, am enslaTer of man, and Gods curse
is upon it. If there is one thing in the
past decade that has weakened this natior
more than another, it is the effeminating
corrupting stream of instruction which
has flowed from all the enthusiastic tenn
perance gatherings of the land, viz +: tn,
habit practiced at those gatherings o.
making excuse for the drunkard, an lay
ing all the responsibility on the 3, looi
keeper. Such work is follie's chief o
follies. The saloon keeper is the legit'-
mate birth of the 'pestiential swamp
of drunkness, and at the stream whicl
flows from that baneful moor lie tarrie
, for an easy and If possible lncrativ
livelihood. He is the weakness OF weak.
, him the responsibility of the great slo,gl
(, of drunkness, lis folly which can onl
3 be excelled by that which naturally fol
lows in its train. viz: the rearing abou
! him his only strong hold, his only respec
, liability by the nation making an assaul
5 upon him in the dignity of law, which I'm
dermines liberty. If this nation had OF
, dered The rearing of dislilleries, the build
ing of breweries, the opening of saloons
r and had endowed the parties interested il
e these enterprises, with authority to exten
4 the traffic by compulsion, or did the art
cles produced al snch institutions necess
tate deea"chery, then The FOOLISH, unmaI
r ly cry Tor protection we now hear,
n though mankind were beasts to be hedge
ABOUT WIN iehce' "ou'u DC changed 10
u humane ana manly cry, ana proiectio
y wou a, once be furnished bnt 1t Is Ire
VIII traihc, win It's use as well as It's "bns
: anu man is a. his option 10 take II, or !
s 1t alone. Hence redemption from "
IS curse Is based on redeemihg the wl''. i
J. operate on the line oi prohibition IL
u oiiow preSt'ge not set ny Hod, nor .
enlightened civii'zatioh' mt mat oi u
u rk ages line OF operation, whic
y won'd deieat the very ehd IL was des'gne
10 promote. IL lsa line upon which,
II Hod was 10 operate mans Tree NOR
y agency would ne at an END. But lie pr
II serves that ior MN ana ny so aoing speal