The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-08-30

American Gymnastic union Turner bund),
held in the city of Davenport state OF To-
wa, in the month of June 1884, unanimous
lv renewed its protest against the enact
ment and attempted enforcement OF so.
called prohibitory or repressive laws, ana
AZ the same time saw tit to instruct the un,
dersicned national executive committee OF
the "bund," 10 issue to its members ana
others, from time 10 time, circular letters
or protests setting forth, briefly and tersely
their objections 10 these obnoxious meas
ures, together with suggestions as 70 the
most effective means of meeting and de
feating the same. We beg hereby TO sub
nit 10 a candid public this our Iirst re-
Spouse to that instruction.
Lest our motives in this contest might In
some manner, or by some one, be miscon-
strued We premise;
/ That This action was taken by the con
ventiOn, and itS mandate is obeyed ~ us,
IN the interest or al the instigatiOn OF no
/ industry or branch Of business OF any Klnd
whatever, but simply and solely upon prlh-
ciple
/ And we wish 10 add, further, that we
Weld to no one in our adherence OF the
abuse, not merely Of alcoholic refresh
|ments, but of each Of natures other gilts
as well. Nor will we be content with any
thing less than the swift and certain pun
/ i-hment Of every offender against the
rights of his fellow beings or against NOR
ais and the good order of society recognlZ.
! ing as we do in the passage ami enforce
ment of laws aiming at this end the uue
! function and limit of state and municipal
| legislation, and believing that all else i
and should be matter of individual con
Germ and belief or private right,
We must and do protest, however, against
that medieval system of attempted law
making which, at best, destroys the rights
and curtails the liberties of the many on
account Of immoderation and vices OF the
| few; and we hold that by natural law
which found expression in our national
| Declaration of Independence in the words
Governments derive their just powers
| from the consent Of the governed" all such
attempts at patriarchal legislation are for
| hidden; and that no true power exists III
any state or municipality TO destroy the
! free agency Of any one human being be
cause Of the possibility that another may
abuse the liberty guaranteed to every one
| by our national constitution.
Neither do we now place much stress
upon the established fact that prohibition
fails to prohibit beyond pointing TO It as
but another demonstration that prohibition
is wrong in principle. No extreme meas
ure can ever live or be enforced in any
community without both the moral support
of that community and the conviction on
the part of those intrusted with its eXecu-
| ton that it is right and just in principle
hence the failure.
We oppose all prohibtory and sumptuary
laws as being:
l. Wrong in principle,
2. A peryersion OF true governmental
| functions.
3. Destructive Of human free-agency, of
self-respect and character,
4. And as but poorly disguised attempts
to force the private opinions of one part of
IA community upon the unwilling minds
and rebelling consciences Of the other.
We hold that every honest means should
be employed 70 repress and destroy the
| further growth of those noxious and dan
gerous doctrines; and we know of no more
effective means than the intelligent use of
the right of suffrage.
Every member of the North American
| Turner Bund is either citizen Of the Uni
ted States or has declared his intention to
become such.
We most earnestly urge upon all mem.
bers, as well as upon others who unite with
us in the love of true liberty, to vote as
they think and to assist in eleyatng to
public Office or power no candidate who
does not occupy position of open and
manly antagonism to all like invasions Of
personal liberty.
In urging this means we do not of
course, desire to exclude any other Intel
ligent, enlightened men can at all times
and in many ways assist in spreading light
and repelling darkness. BY what we have
said, and shall hereafter take occasion to
say, we but aim to awaken you to realiza-
ton of your plain duty as citizens in a
matter of grave importance.
DIR. II. M. STARKLoFF,
President
HUGO GOIIMER,