The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-08-29

"The greatest good TO the greatest
rumberp Is no better morals, no bet
ter craftsmanship, and far lower
grade of democracy than this declara-
ton: "The largest measure of per-
sonal liberty for the citizen, consis-
tent with the safety of the whole"
What measure of personal liberty
may man DO said to enjoy who is
prevented by law from taking Il
drink If he wants to? Is not the mar
rowing down of his personal priyi-
leges in this way more redolent of
dcspotism than II is of democratic
frecdom-personal freedom is 1t
best to draw the reins over the peo-
Pile as tightly ms this. We admit that
drunkenness is great evil.
1t is becoming very grave one in
deed. But In meeting its rsvsges in
this way are we not inviting other
evils far graver, far more dangerous
Is II reasonable TO suppose that our
forcfathers would have fled from
England, expatriated themselves for
ever, for any less evil than the with
drawal by government of their right
to worship God in the way they
thought bcst2 Would they have
fled from home, and dared the dan
gers of the ocean in mid-winter and
invaded a vast continent of unknown
strength and bristling with ter
rors OF every form, for any less
good than to preserve, es-
tablish and enjoy their personal
liberty which was assailed at home
Is this not lesson for us to-day in
Texas? Under democratic theories,
the personal---very. theory included
the few scared and crouching colonie,
of that day, have grown into n
vast nation of sixty millions of souls
and leading in all the characteristics
of our better civilization of the nine
teen century. Was this advance made
by Withholding personal privileges
Was it made by refusing to the citi
zen who paid his taxes, obeyed The
laws and defended the nationality
with his blood and life, the priviieg,
OF ordering his life as he saw fit
Verify not.
Jefferson was the soul of the demo.
cratic Influences Of the resistance Il
the mother country. His spirit wa
diiiused through every writing-per
vades every declaration of either pur
pose or policy--and yet, no where i
found II scintilla OF that repression
and prescription which has nourishe,
prohibition into plant of such dread
full significance. Jeiierson's adverse
ries-tho federalisis, the strong gov
eminent people, the monarchists-ha,
proscriplive sentiments and tenden
cies. They proposed to place the desti
MES of the people in the hands o
one man = Washington-and bu
for the very spirit raise,
up by Jefferson would have succeed
ed. On down through the years sine
then we may trace the traits of dc
mocracy aud its opponents under au
and all names, federalists, wings, tree
soilers, know-nothings and republi
cans. II is the same to-day rs It wa
then. Democracy stands out in dc
Tense of the personal liberties Of tn
people, and in this way contribute
to the enduringness of the nationa
lite, as IL does to the Robustness of In
individual life of the citizen.
If the prohibitionists of Texas g
over into the camp of the republican,
or the opponents of democracy, uudc
whatever name they may be known
welland good. We will know jus
how TO deal with them. They wi
ind that the democratic party of tn
state will not tolerate these mario,
policies of prescription and repres
sion. They must be prepared TO TO
the line. They must be either demo
Gratis or republicans. They cannot 81
at the feasis of democracy and at tn
same time take away from the oitize
the right to order his life as h
chooses, or to take drink II he want
to. The question rs to whether th
move is political or not has long sine
been settled. Ifpolitical, and il is no
democratic, what Is II!