Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-04-23
THE NORTHWEST
Prohibition and License.

Mr.. J. NJ. Osborn before the Social
Science Association in that city. II
contains some very good points:
Mr.. Osborn began by asserting that
IL sumptuary laws were to be enacted
at the request of all who depend there.
OH for reform, there would be such O
multitude of law, and such confusion
that men would lose respect for all law
One of our statesmen has declared that
there is now law enough to last for the
next five hundred years. The labyrinth
of complex laws now on our statute
books, bear no favorable comparison, so
far as effectiveness and regard for same
is concerned, with our early simple leg
Sslation. The greater regard for the
rights of others, is not so much due to
fear of the penalties of the law rs to
more intelligence and better under
standing of the rights of all parties.
The more numerous the laws for regua-
ting personal conduct, the more de-
pendence that is placed upon legislation
for this the less must be the spontan-
eOus grWoth of desirable attributes, or
habits, and the more is the ingenuity
and ability of those opposed sharpened
Cor evasion.
He then called attention to the fact
shat men, like children, are made per-
verse by tyrannical government, by un-
iusta cruelty servere restrictions of
natural rights. Improbable legislation
tends to strengthen, rather than sup
press that which it would prohibit.
Such legislation tends to destroy indie
pendent thought and action--to wipe
out individual responsibility and Grip
pie genius.
1t breeds intolerance, against which
intelligence has been forced to main
tain costly warfare since the dawn of
recorded history. We have too much
legislation. The best results in that
direction has been found in the repeal
0fancient and obsolete laws which had
become hindrance rather than an aid
TO human progress. He called atten-
tion to the custom of parading and ap-
plauding reformed drunkards before
the peOple-men who shamelessly con-
fess to their own self abuse and aban-
donment of opportunities-and vet all
this has not even checked the flow of
intoxicating drinks, and what is worse,
has had no control of the traffic, which
might have been had under other and
better methods.
The drunkard is prised for his liberal
heartedness and pitied for his socalled
misfortune, but the man who conquers
himself and lives uprightly has no
praise. The child is neglected, and the
man who deliberately makes brute of
himself is not condemned by temper
ance people, all responsibility being
thrown upon the seller. Sumptuary
laws have been deprecated by the best
minds of our country-Seward, Gar
held, Tilden, Seymour-the solid fact
being that upon individuality rests the
welfare of the masses of mankind.
There are too many men, unable to
think for themselves, who refuse to
accept the teachings of those who can
think-men who think that law must
govern everything and that nothing
worth having can have an existence
except as forced upon the people by
legislative enactment. Men who neg
lect their own duty, want the whole
community placed under restraint for
their personal protection against the
natural results of their own wrongs.
either in not controlling themselves
or in failing to do their duty towards
their children. Oppressive legislation
always strengthens the wrong which it
Us intended to cure, and only the
houghtless, or those incapable of think
ing, want any such legislation.
Mr.. Osborn severely criticised the
efforts of temperance people and their
speakers, most of whom are governed
by mercenary motives, cheek taking
the place of ability, and the man who
can draw the most tragic pictures of the
dIunkard and charge it all upon the
manufacturer or dealer, is most success
tul, and the cultivation of this kind of
sentiment has operated to prevent that
restriction, or regulation, which is con-
sistent with individual rights and cal
culated to promote practical temper
ance.
The boy who sproperly trained until
ne is 10, rarely becomes a patron of the
liquor vender; but the boy who is neg
lected, or who is improperly trained, is
hable to go astray in any direction.
He then combatted the generally be-
heVed statement that drunkenness is
the source OF majority of the crimes
committed, citing prison reports to
SHOW the contrary, the theory being
that the criminal, in carrying out his
sharp practices, must have his wits
about him and dare not drink to excess.
intemperance has more to do with fill
Ing lock-ups, jails and warehouses
shan with supplying inmates for pen
1tentiaries. A careful expert, employ
cd to search court records for that pur-
pose during the past hundred years,
reports that less than three per cent.
Ofthe murders committed can be traced
20 drunkenness or the use Of intoxicat-
ing drinks. A prominent Temperance
lecturer caused similar investigation
t0b made with the same result. Apeni-
tentiary chaplain informed him that he
did not know single convict whose
crime could be traced directly to in
temperance. He quoted several au-
thorities upon this point, contending
chat many other causes, such as skating
rinks, where persons of vile tastes are
permitted to associate promiscuously
with the young, are more productive
of vice and crime than saloons. Virtue
grows and strengthens by association,
each good helping all other good quail
HES.