The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-10-16
LICENSE A MISCHIEF BY LAW.
Synopsis of a Sermon by the Rev. j. z. Otis
in the NJ. E. Church.

Synopsis of Sermon by the Rev. j. p. Otis
| in the NJ. E. Church.
"Shall the throne of iniquity have fell
lowship with thee, which frameth mis-
chief by a law ?"-Psdlms 81, 20.
/. No legitimate human activity is at
variance with God. Particularly is this
true of the administration of the divine
institution of government. The test here
proposed by applying which we may as
certain whether any government is so ad-
minstered as to be approved of God, is
the tendency of that administration OF
its laws to establish or to destroy that
which is injurious to society.
2. Believing that any species of license
tends to establish and not to destroy the
liquor traffic and that to supplant prohi-
bition by license would be to frame mis-
chief by law, to bring us into antago-
nism with God and convert law in our
midst into throne of iniquity, l stand
here as minister of the gospel to oppose
the adoption of license.
3, know there will be those who will
criticise this action, but am not much
disturbed by this. ] remember that
Christ was so criticised by the people of
Gondora that they desired Him to leave,
but that He was royalty welcomed on the
opposite shore where they cared more for
the deliverance of men from evil than for
any possible loss of swine.
L. deem that license law comes un-
der the condemnation of this text for sew
eral reasons.
| First Whether the license be "High"
or as low as it was in Maine, where the
fee was one dollar and they could not en-
force that, such law contains thinly dis
guised the odious principle of monopoly.
If the traffic be not harmful to society
then all restrictions or taxes laid upon it
on any principle than is applied to other
legitimate industries are odious discrimi-
nations.
But, secondly, there are few outside
the ranks of those pecuniously interested
in the traffic-and who will meet and
frame their manifesto at Chicago on the
1Sth-who care to be known as placing
this traffic on the same basis as other
branches of industry. Sincere license
men join in chorus with prohibitionists
to aver that it is dangerous fraughth
with untold possibilities of mischief to
the moral and material interests of So
ciety Then license laws, while with one
hand they create monopoly through
their restrictions, with the other hand
throw over the leprous shoulders of the
liquor traffic the sacred mantle of law.
l am asked if l am not aware that a
law sure to be violated will breed con-
tempt for law, answer it may breed
contempt for the administration of law
but not for law. But what would SO tend
to breed contempt for law as for law it
self to condone wrong and to accept
money, the price of the peoples blood,
for allowing a certain number of men to
carry on a traffic injurious to the welfare
of society? If laws and government ex-
list for such purposes would be a Nihi-
list. 1t is on this platform l stand and
say that if l were shut up to such a
choice, as am not, would prefer the
poorest prohibitory law to the best license
law. understand that since the above
was preached this sentence; torn from it's
connections, has been quoted and that
somebody over in Delaware supposes he
has discovered in Elkton fanatic of the
most dangerous variety. Very well, l
suppose over in-GOdora-I must sub
nit to be so labelled, it is not safe to in
terfere with the demons there l am on
my way to the other side of the lake,
| however.
My ideal of law is that of a valiant
| knight, standing as the defence of human
virtue and peace on every battlefield
where wrong stands He may make mis-
takes he may sometimes be temporarily
defeated and driven back but never
lowers his banner. Not SO does license
idealize law, but as soldier valiant only
where the enemies of society are few and
weak, but where they are strong max ring
a compact with them that if they will
pay certain price and promise to do
their work decorously they may ravage
the land. II to say that | prefer the
weakest knight of the first kind to the
finest of the latter kind be fanaticism
then will proudly wear the badge.
We are IN danger of enthroning iniq-
uity and ranging ourselves in hostility to
God. We have heard the counsel for a
man whose life and honor were in jeop
ardy adjuring the twelve men, whose de-
cision would blight or liberate not to reD-
| der any verdict which would rise up to
trouble conscience in dying hour; and
We trust they did SO decide as to give
themselves peace hereafter. Are we pre-
pared to render verdict as to our laws
and institutions that will place them in
partnership with that which Injuries So
ciety and hence in antagonism with God?