The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-06-13
LAW.

To behold Satan in the act of reproving
sin would be a curious spectacle, but were he
to pose before us as the exponent and cham
pion of right, the scene would be truly ludi-
crous scarcely more SO, however, than is the
attitude of the rum interest, which, while it
utterly disregards mems duties to their God,
their families, or themselves, and cares moth
ing for the wrongs that they suffer from this
accursed trade, is really like philanthropic
crocodile to shed tears over their inalienable
right to sell rum, which appears to be in
danger of being outraged by prohibitory
law.
In examining this question it may be well
to consider what law is. A law is ''rule of
action" growing out of the relations that ex-
list between beings. 1t is not a mere dogmat-
ic assumption of authority on the part of the
governing power to regulate the action of the
governed; that would be tyranny and not
law.
Laws are not made, they are developed. 1t
is not in the power of being to create alaw.
The legislative enactment, strictly speaking,
is not the making of law, it is the mere
publication of what is perceived to be law.
If all men were sufficiently good and wise,
if they had the wisdom to see clearly the re-
lations that combine to produce law and the
Willingness to regulate their conduct in con-
formity to this knowledge, there would be no
necessity for legislative assemblies. But un-
fortunately mankind cannot be relied upon in
either particular and thus to prevent the con-
sequences which must ensue if every man
was claw unto himself we band ourselves
together in common interest and for mutual
protection, and promulgate the laws which
appear to grow out of our relations to each
other.
The question then arises in view of the
fallability of human judgment and the self
ishness of human nature Who shall deter
mine what is law? In the more centralized
forms of government this power is delegated
to few, but the genius of our American
nationality is the idea that the majority of
public sentiment expressed in the ballots cast
shall determine this question. 1t is before
public opinion then as the only court of COM
petent jurisdiction that we would arraign rum
as a spoiler of virtue, destroyer of health
and happiness, a factor in all our social evils,
and curse to mankind, claiming that it is
matter with which society has perfect right
to deal and willing to abide the result of hon.
est inquiry
If we are better as nation physically, in
tellectually, morally and financially by its
presence among us its manufacture and sale
should be encouraged, but if there are no ben
efts arising from it to counterbalance the
evils which grow out of it, it is logical
certainty that we are better off without it
than with it, in which case the greatest good
of the greatest number demands that we be
rid of it. And may the Lord hasten the day
when this dragon of rum shall fall down be-
fore the ballot box, the ark of our national
covenant, and rid us of what is and ever has
been an unmitigated nuisance and blight
ing, whitening curse.
Sea0ille, ". j. PENNINGTON CoRsoN.
In conformity to the provisions of an act of
the last legislature the authorities of Atlantic
City are considering the ACCESSIBILITY of MAX
ing Improvements on the streets, at the gen.