Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1884-01-09
The Logic OfPrOhibitiOn.

Rev. J. d. Rigg, who was announced
to preach temperance discourse on
the 23rd ult., (the day the subject en-
gagged the attention of the ministry
throughout the country but prevented
from eXtraneOus causes, preached a
terse and forcible sermon ON Sunday
morning last, basing his remarks on
Exodus Xxi, 2S-32.
After a brief introduction on the sub
ject of reforms and how they are at
first subject to derisiOn and contempt
in the popular mind he went at once to
the great reform that claimed his atten-
ton for the service of the morning.
We have room for only portion of it,
that relating to prohibition; on which
he spoke as follows:
We need, must hare, and lCW hare
some skillful and persevering legisla-
tors who will, by the power vested in
them, clear the perilOus channels of
social life, by ripping and irving to
atoms, the rocks of licensed rum, upon
which so many likely human crafts
strike and go down forever. | have
no time to bubble with those who claim
that Prohibition does not prohibit
1t is Incl upon the word of God, upon
reason, upon common sense and upon
experience
Gods word is introductory, and
| thousands of souls are saved from hell
upon the basis of the prohibitory feat
ures of His word. 1t is as reasonable
to grant efficiency to prohibitory liquor
laws, as to the laws touching anything
else. 1t is in keeping with common
sense to demand such laws, and the
common sense of the people is making
! the demand. The experience is that
prohibitory laws, if given an equal
| chance with laws that interdict other
crimes and misdemeanOrs, do prohibit.
And where they have been enacted,
. and have failed in the desired results,
the failure is traceable to the fact that
those who have been entrusted with
the enforcement of the law have had
an object in view in bringing the law
into disrepute. There is another small
class, whose wish is father to the
thought who claim to have doubts as
to the power Of the State to act in the
matter of prohibiting the manufacture
and the sale of intoxicating liquors as a
beverage.
:" l reply in a word: -Does any can
did man question that the results of
the licensed traffic in intoXicants strike
both at the personal freedom and
property of the citizens of the State ?
Does any fair thinker upon this matter
question that the traffic is the greatest
breeding place of criminals and pau
pers on the face of the earth? And
who but the steady going citizen and
taxpayer is appealed to for the sup
port of the criminals and p&upers
Where is any rule of limitation which
authorizes the existence of the State
and at the same time denies to the State
power to protect itself against evils
which would undermine the foundation,
of the State? Ifthe result of intoxicat.
ing beverages is intOricdtiOn, and the
result of intOricdtiOn be disorder
CiOIcnce and crime, he must be q pre-
sumptuous man, indeed, who would
deny to the State the right to protect
its imperilled interests by prohibiting
that which imperils.
, "Therc is great waste of elOquencc il
pleading the natural rights of men
Nobody has Il single word of prOtes
against II mans natural rights so Ion!
as the exercise of those so-calleC
= natural rights do not become injurious
: obnoxious or offensive to the public
: good. Private rights are always subOr
dindte to the public uUelfdre, and tn,
public can demand the cessation of the
!, exercise of our private rights; because
= a man, when he enters society, does so
! with the understanding that his priCGt
:, rights are surrendered to the laws o
| - Il 81. hot
= right to carry n pistol upon my per
:. son. Who denies the right? Blu
, when it becomes clear that my carry
:, ing pistol is source of offence an,
J danger to others, the law says | mus
= not do it. To put n bell or q steam
- whistle on a building, and let it b.
; rung or sounded at any and every hour
= may not be serious matter, but whel
: the noise is obnoxious to the publ
- ear, and the nerves of the sick are dis
= tressed thereby, those so tortured ca
!, demand protection at the hand of tn
!, law. Tanneries, slaughter-houses, phos
= phate mills, glue-factories, powde
!, stores, and all other places and source
!. of annoyance and danger to the person
= and possessions of the public can onl
u be established or remain with tn
authority of the State, and though the
be of service as sources of great revC
nue. to their proprietOrs, and their pro
It ducts meet want of the people, We
d when. they are offensive or dangerous t
= the public, we can demand their RI
mOUaL by the leverage of the law. Il
IF the act itself the selling of intoxicating
W liquors as beverage may not be any
y thing to deserve Introduction; but whe
Ie viewed in the light Of results, the pull
g lie has the right to seek its prohibitio
4 by State action. Prejudiced politicians
l. for the sake of appealing to the ignol
l. ant, are waxing warm and eloquen
1T upon the subject of sumptuary laaUi
he They are exceeding fearful of a retur
m to the medieval restrictions of Rome
N when the private expenditures of th
1t citizen were limited by legal enactment
m But does anybody think for momeu
Is that the prohibition of the liquor traffi
" is intended to restrict citizens exper