Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-25

ment has the right to prohibit man
from giving me disease without my
consent, IL has the right to prohibit .
man from selling me liquor with my
consent. And oil BIS talk about
contagious" "confagrations," and
nuisances,' depends on an utter
Oblivion OF the same obvious distinc-
ton. Liquor saloons may from their
LEGALITY sometimes be nuisances, and
when they are the Law provides for their
abatement. Drunken men are Dui-
tspces, and the law provides for their
suppression.
But it is argued that the government
has right to prohibit by high license,
and If SO, it has the right to prohibit 10
any other mode. I deny that the gov
eminent has right to prohibit by high
license. The government has a right
TO levy license-tax for revenue only.
And TO give efficacy to this tax one Law
says no man shall sell without license,
and another law that license shall be
granted On the payment Of tax, DC.
The Constitution article n, section u
recognizes the sale Of ardent spirits as
legitimate traffic, and allows license
tax upon that, upon merchants, &C.,
and any other business that cannot be
reached by the ad-rdiorem system.
1t is further argued that laboring-
man spends money in saloons that he
ought to spend ON his wife and chill
dien. 1t might be replied that his wife
spends money in vsnities that she ought
to spend on her children, and that the
children spend and waste what they
ought to save; but at any rate, if apoor
son of toll who makes his own money
by the sweat Of bis brow cannot spend
a little Of it his own way he had better
sign himself a slave at once. c,
a farmer, may spend too much money
for whiskey, but d gets it for himself
and family, buys provisions, and there
by helps build up home market for
C's corn and other produce that might
otherwise perish on C's hands. Thus
money circulates, and all parties are
the gamers.
All the arguments on the moral side
OF the question are based on the failure
to draw distinction between mixed
and unmixed evils-between the proper
use and abuse Of thing. To notice all
these arguments, one by one, and show
the iallacy Of each would be an endless
task. 1t is sufficient to say the same
arguments could be applied with as
much OF more truth and reason against
the manufacture and sale Of gunpowder,
firearms, various drugs. and ten
thousand other things. In fact, there
is no limit to the oppression of gov
eminent when once the barrier that
protects man in his individual rights
is broken down. Because some dogs
kill sheep and others 60 mad and kill
people shall the keeping OF all dogs be
prohibited !? The evils from dogs and
gunpowder surpass those from whlskey.
A prohibition law is contrary to the
first section OF the Virginia Bill Of
Rights, which establishes that every
one has certain rights Of Sh'ch neither
himself nor any government can divest
him. and among them is the enjoyment
of liberty and the means OF acquiring
and possessing property. a free man,
therefore, has guaranteed to him the
liberty of eating and drinking " bat ne
chooses, and shall not be prevented
from engaging in legitimate traffic to
acquire property, and liquor-dealiDg, as
8 legitimate traffic, is expressly recog-
nized by Article ", section 4 Of the
Constitution above referred to.
But the great argument against pro-
hibition is that the law will to great
extent be a dead letter. Thus the law
often overshoots itself and brings not
only one but all legislative enactments
into contempt. Law to be respected.
and thus have the full and free force Of
law. must restrain itself within proper
bounds. Too much law, and that upon
doubtful subjects Of legislation, will
mean in the end no law at all. but the
reign Of confusion and anarchy. Those
who have laws to execute know the
truth of this; psalm.singers know no.
thing about it, and therefore should not
darken counsel by words without know
ledge, and with the conceit of ignorance
think an alliterated phrase Of Rum
and Romanism " the consummation Of
human wisdom.
There is nothing more to he desired
than temperance, and that in all things,
and let preachers preach it from the
pulpit and give the adversary no quar-
ter. Let the Good Templars, too, go
on with their good work but for the
sake Of their cause and Of that Law
whose strong arm they ignorantly in
woke. let them not call penal enact
ments IN their aid. L.