The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-11-24
.T&le N6erala N6. and Welva.
PUBLISHED
EVERY WEDNESDAY AT
? , .VSw5ea2y, s.. G.
"Prohibition Does not Prohibit"
.N3,p5ea2'p, s. G.

mon laCcS among those VINO advO-
cate the liccnsure Of drinking saloons.
No debate can be had on the policy,
of giving legal sanction to drinking
establishments, without calling out
such defcnces as are embraced in
the propositions Taxes will be
heavier "Privatc liberty should not
be invaded; "Sumptuary laws are
odious;" "Prohibition does not pro.
hibit."
Each Of these propositions, us
used in the interest Of liquor.selling,
is fallacious. "TaXes will be hcay-
ier." But suppose the very law
which cuts Off the profit from the
liquor license diminishes expemdi
lures, what then ? In one of our
smaller towns, the income from H.
censc did not pay the expense Of a
police. License ceased and there
was no occasion for q policeman.
Besides, is il not to the profit of the
community that every loafer should
become q laborer, and does any one
cause operate SO directly and power.
fully to make men loafcrs as the
facility Of getting strong drink g?
Many q man fails to pay the grocer
and the doctor because his money
has gone into the till Of the drinking
saloon. But "privatc liberty should
not be Invaded" True, not unnec.
cssarily; but it has to be invaded and
surrendered in the case of every man
who chooses to live in society. He
who would have personal liberty ab-
solute must get away from mankind
and make q hermit Of himself. There
he may indulge in personal liberty
without "let or hindrance" He may,
If he plcases, 60 without clothes; but
if he chooses to live where other
people live, he must give up the
privilege Of going about nalcd-and
thus, at every step Of intercourse
with others, we are surrendering what
might have been called natural
rights. In civilized society, the
highest civil rights arc those which
remain to the individual as the resi-
dunn after the surrender Of Il large
number Of original rights, q surren-
der made out Of respect to the rights
Of others. II man living alonei
the woods has the right to move
about on all-fours, and to bark like Il
dog at every passing object, he
loses chat right when he goes to
live in a village. The villagers
have q right to be free from the an
noyance OF such human caninism.
And they would assert it, if need be,
even to the extent Of putting collar
and chain upon this dog Of fellow.
Now how much better than this imi.
tation OF the brute is the staggering
Of the inebriate on the streets, the
confused stare from his eyes, and
the eXtravagant nonsense or the pro.
fame ribaldry which issues from his
ips--thc lips Of a man, gifted with
reason, capable Of making others
happy, but now fit only to be shun-
ned or concealed. TO cut man Off
from the chance Of making such a
spectacle Of himself is no violation of
any private right; it is simply the
restraint of a mans privilege Of do.
ing wi':,:tvcr he plcases with
himself by asserting those rights
Of the public which he cannot
be authorized to destroy. But
"sumptnary laws are odious." Yes.
But if cholera is prevailing, the
public authorities may forbid the
sale in the markets of melons and
cucumbcrs. From fear of fire it may
prohibit the erection Of wooden
buildings;, or from fear Of earth
quakcs it might forbid the erection
Of brick buildings. 1t may prohibit
tho sale Of secondhand clothing
bought from hospitals. 1t may pro.
hlhit the sale Of ycast-powders con.
tanning alum or other deIctcrious
drug. These may be stigmatizcd as
sumptuary laws; yet they arc good,
resting on a good principle and pro-
ductivc of good results. And such
is the law that strikes at liquor.scll-
ing, the source Of more mischiefs to
the community than those produced
by hurCful articles Of food, or by in
fectcd clothing, or by conhagratons
or by earthquakes, or 10y all of them
together.
But then, "Prohibition does not
prohibit" We have said that this is
an cpigram. 1t is the nature Of the
cpigram to say something that is lit
orally untrue. 1t must be under
stood iiguratively, or it is nonsense.
"Ihc child is father to the man" can
not be literally true. Literally the
man is father to the child. But as
the character Of the child shapes the
character Of the future man, VIC say
the child is father to the man.
When, then, we arc told that pro.
hibition does not prohibit, we have a
contradiction in terms. 4 prohibit
ton that does not prohibit is prohi.
bitlon that is not {; prohibition. Now
those who use this pat saying do not