Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-30
pRourBrrroNHsrs.
Trying 70 Ne Too 0ocd-A Phiiosophi'
cal Paper.

Irving 70 Ne Too Good-A Philosophy
cal Paper.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:
As the anti-liquor men are making
fresh effort to reform the country in the
matter of misuse of liquor, 1t is rea-
sonable that we should all form some
views on the subject, and, indeed, we
are called on to do 80. Great sgitations
of the public mind disturb injuriously
the social and industrial interests OF the
people. We are turned away from
the calm and agreeable habits oil
thought and employment to engage in
sort of strife Of opinion and privilege
that interfere with personal liberty aud
the long and well-established rights OF
business.
1t is said the best ministers speak the
truth plainly, and if we are allowed TO
do SO we would say local option Is SIM
DIV an excessive over-zealous spirit,
which attempts to do more good than
is ever practicable in this world. re-
member hearing q good Episcopalian
lady say ION an occasion when some
stir of q similar work was being re-
ferred toy "that she could never get
along with these over-righteous people,
who wanted to live on excitement, and
seemed to think it was best to 60 tc
Heaven that way"
The reasonable use OF all things is
best, and the moderate use OF spirits Is
unquestionably the wiser as we'll as the
most wholesome employment OF II.
But because some men will not so act
Just as they will not so act in many
other things, are we to institute CO.
ercive measures to hamper the privi-
leges of others?
Nothing so surely tests the proprlety
and virtue of methods for reforming the
habits of our fellow-man as a resort to
fundamental principles Of social science
and the common law. Force cannot be
rightfully employed as a means, (di-
rectly or indirectly, as a moral power,
for reforming the vices of others. All
sound rules for moral restraint of our
fellow-man limit our authority and the
Justice of our action to the influence OF
example and moral suasion. Ii we 60
a hairs breadth further, we more or
less lay violent hands upon our neigh
Dor and begin war upon his inalienable
rights of individual liberty; and though
emergency for our control and guardian
ship of him seems to justify our acts,
we shall be apt to find that every mo-
tive for control becomes an emergency
so long as we conceive ourselves
nearer right in anything than he
is; and having picked him up out
of q purpose Of befriending him
and making him better man, we
shall not be able to put him down any
more and then, while doing this indie
fatigable service to others, to the extent
of forcibly regulating their conduct, we
neglect to guard our own inhrmlties'
that we are sure to have in some form
or other, and we shall find we have &C
quired the methods as well as the in
stincts of the tyrant, and we shall find
also (but too late) that the sense of self
sufficiency OF ourselves has proved our
own weakness, and the very vices we
assumed to relieve others Of have
straightway taken hold Of us. But we
will say in our goodness of heart, these
" dram. drinkers are running them
selves, and it is cruel in us to stand by
and see them do it without snatching
the poison from their lips. All, so it
looks specifically. If there were no
saloons there would be no cities, and if
there we're no theatres there would be
no churches (; contrast is necessary to
support both. But human vices and
follies are nothing new, and when we
attempt to correct them in our follow
man by arbitrary means any one Of
them that we so head off will only be
followed by fresh crop far more vicious
than what we had apparently cured.
One step beyond moral suasion is wrong
10 principle, and will fail of any good
results Just as sure as right principles
are worth appreciation and truth has
the attribute Of immutabillty.
1t is certainly commendable in us to
desire good to our neighbor, but to do
him good does not confer on US pre-
negatives of power over his conduct
and to place restrictions upon his privl-
leges and to throw stumbling-blocks in
his way-to embarrass his movements
is exercising power over him that
we would not like imposed on US, and
that the laws Of the land and the funda-
mental principle Of human rights and
consideration for one another do not
recognize among men. lie thai
attempts to reform the world
will fail at least as to one, If it must be
himself, for human nature is going tC
stick to us to the last. Men are moi
going to be any great deal better in thi;
world, or at least experience has moi
proved it so far. Evil is not eradica
BILE, and while we are working to keeE
it down the average Of good is quite
compensating to us and while Provi
dence in His great mercy has charge o
US all, we need not get excited and re
sort to violent measures by snatchinG
from many a poor man his reasonable
comfort, however it may be that SOM
take too much.
Perhaps it is a hard expression t.
say that mankind is hardly growing
any better when SO many boast of gu
moral and social advancement. Well
We don't mean to be harsh, but lool
around us and behold the violence an
disorder. Our best way is to try to b
one Of the good, while we may not liv
to see ourselves or others free fron
sin. Men have grown sharper an
more capable, but it is as much for vic
as goodness. l well remember when
} was first allowed pocket-knife. NJ
mother used to insist that it shoul
not be made sharp for fear tina
| would cut myself or d
some mischief with it to other,
The dull knife was considered safes
and reckon it was, and it looks nigh
lily like the people are getting too shar
! and the methods of human morality ar
| becoming too expensive.