Sword and shield., 1885-10-24
SUMPTUARY LAWS.


presenting few definition of laws
controlling the temperance work in
which we are zealously engaged, as
instigatlng women to trapize in the
infnity of jurisprudence. Forever,
no; but we do say that every Selsi-
BILE person should seek to understand
what objects an accepted work is
designed to accomplish and what
are the legitimate means prescribed
for the prosecution of the particular
purpnse of that work. 1t does not
impose upon any woman the neglect
of her household affairs, but simply
the utalization of such fragments of
time as occur and recnr in the dis
charge Of her cardinal duties.
We therefore insist that every mem
Der Of the W. c. T. U. qualify her.
self to advocate, prosecute and sus-
tain her work-byhrst understand
ing it. A subject that we often hear
discussed is that of sumptuary laws.
If that subject has any connection
with our work we want to know all
about Therefore we have made
diligent research into the origin and
spirit and purpose of sumptuary
laws and find that they were enact
ed ''to restrain luxury and extrava-
uance in dress, furnituae and food"
upon the principle that enforced
frugality would conduce to the gen.
eral prosperity of a people. The
number and quality of dishes, man
ner of dress and even of bedding
were legis.ated upon and everything
that tended to the degeneracy of
heroism, enervation Of national
spirit and disturbance of the balance
between production and consumption
was vigorously prohibited. The idea
of sumptuary laws is peculialy OBJ
noxious on account of their relation
ship to tyranny and we largely solicit
the privilege Of confessing that any
law which partakes Of tyranny is at
war with the spirit of Republican
government. Prohibition has no
concern with equality of property,
frugality of living or the varieties
of soil and climate" We rejoice
that every free-born American is
protected in the enjoyment of every
luxury and refined pleasure that may
be gathered from Greenland's icy
mountain to India's coral strand, nor
is it source of less rejoicing to us
that we are entitled to the same pro-
tecrion against invasions of the
sanctities OF home and the peace of
heart which constitute the highest
luxuries. Therefore, we are, by the
nature Of every claim that we make
squarely opposed to sumptuary laws.
These laws belonged to the despot-
ism of past ages and it is a ghostly
cause indeed that needs to conscript
the ghosts Of dead iniquitles with
which to combat the inexorable de-
mandS of living equities. We deal
with the sale Of ardent spirits as
tyranny and not aS a luxury. We
claim that the law which gives to
saloon-keeper the right to lash us
with scorpions and gives to us ouly
the right to suffer does not breathe
the spirit of equality of rights.
We declare that suah law is vaL-
dalism Of the province of free civil
government and absolute subyersion
of the supreme law. The resistance
of it is the simple exercise Of one of
those great conservative, reserved
rights which belong as definitely to
the individual as they do to the State
and which are the instincts of indi-
vldual liberty as they are the In
stincts Of State sovereignty. The
supreme judges of the United States
court, as well as judges Of our own
supreme courts have decided with
, uniform ''fanaticism?' That every
State has the right to prohibit the
sale Of whisky altogether when
found to be preudicial to the health,
] morals and peace Of a community.
: We would kindly and very interest
edly suggest that every incoming
member of the next legislature read
] those decisions for himself.
u