Smyrna times., 1886-08-25

it provides that bondsmen shall secure
the public, they being required to en-
ter security for The faithful perform
ance OF duty. So we can understand
without much learning that the law
maker contemplated the evils growing
out of the traffic and tried to provide
against it by prOhibitOry prOUi8ions
If we should take away the prOhibitOry
enactment we would have nothing left,
and yet we hear so much ado about the
uncOnstitutiOnality of temperance law?
FirSt.-In contemplation of the neg
lect and poverty, ignorance, and naked
ness, growing out from the inebriate
home it was regarded as unwise and
contrary to every principle of human
ity to sell that man liquor, with which
to abuse his family, SO the law prohibits
the saloon man from selling to him
under penalty of having his license
| forfeited.
Second. Doubtless experience and
observation, furnished sufficient evil
| dence concerning the youth of the
land, to teach the fact that it was dam
gerOus to the youth to be allowed to
drink. So the law was made to
prohibit the saloon keeper from selling
to anyone under 81 years of age-the
second prOhibitory act.
Third.-In consequence Of persons
fighting and brOiling on election days,
and i'll consequence of the need of men
having clear judgments when they cast
their ballot, determining some great
principle in the government, and rec
Ognizing the fact that no man can do
this under a perverted judgment by
rum, it was also determined to prohibit
the sale of liquor on the national or
State election days-the third prohibit
ing act.
FOurth.-The law again prohibits the
sale on the Sabbath day
1t also prohibits in many places the
sale of liquor by retail to any person on
credit under penalty that they shall not
be able to collect it by law, hence the
cash system was adopted and carried
out by the saloon man.
Here in the State of Delaware we
have the prohibitOry law denying the
right to sell in vessels over the bar, to
be carried away by any other means
than by the stomach, so we have the
one part of the act to sell, covered up
and hedged in on every side by pro-
hibitOry clauses, so much 50, that the
rum seller declares openly that no man
can carry on a bar under such re-
strictions by law, and as a result we
have continuous violation in defiance
of the law, and the saloon men de-
clare that it cannot be expected of
them. IF they are prosecuted occas-
ionally they are able to pay the fine
Because Of the criminal character asso-
ciated with the seller and drinker, some
Of whom must be depended upon as
witnesses, it is difficult to convict and
bring to justice those who are prosecu-
ted. The business has grown to'such
a stupendOus magnitude that it threat
ems the very life of the nation. The
retail liquor bill Of the United States is
variously estimated at 81 ,4S3, ,491 ,S65
annually.
Think of the morals of city like
Philadelphia, with twelve times as
many saloons as churches and school
hOuses.-RecOgnizing the fact that we
have a prohibitOry law already on our
statute books and one us good as dead
because it cannot be enforced by either
of the old parties, we resolved in our
own minds that we need the formation
of a new party whose sole object shall
be to protect country and home, and
/, furthermore to extend the principle o.
prohibition until it shall be absolute
when no liquors will be allowed to be
, manufactured, or imported, into the
State except under the restriction fol
mechanical or medicinal purposes, and
may God hasten the day and give wis
} dom and courage to the women oi
: America who wear the white ribbon tC
carry out their project of having al
the nations and powers of the earth
jointly and as a whole to petition each
r individual nation to pass prohibitory
laws and under the care of Him who
careth for all things, may the goot
f seed of life bring forth tree bearing
the desired fruit.-While it is uncon
stitutioual to pass sumptuary laws St
: as to prescribe what the individua
p shall eat and drink upon his table, OIL
what he or she shall wear on the back
yet the common law of the land alway.
legislates for the manufacturing, the
G producing, and mercantile interests O
, the nation. The law has said to the pro
ducers of coal and ore, SO far shal
n thou go and no further because it i
q not safe for the lives of the miners
p The legislator has been very exact il
q law, concerning such poisons rs arsenic
4 laudanum, and strychnine, togethe
= with many other articles of sale il
q mercantile interest. The lives of th,
q people are so protected and guarde,
by laws regulating the sale that it is al
e most impossible for a good citizen t,
. buy sufficient to kill rat for fear tha
: he may want it for himself or SOM
a other one with which to commit sui
4 eide. While there is perhaps one do
= in ten thousand goes mad, and perhap
f three or five well-authenticated case
: of hydrophobia il. the United States
r annually yet every poor dog in tn
4 country must wear n wire muzzle.
g How we are straining at the gna
Il and swallowing the camel. How few
It die from these causes compared witt
d the millions who die from the efIec
/. of drink. Instead of prohibiting, +
d save the lives of the people, the Stat
Q and city authorities institute in sucl
Q cities as New York, and Philadelphia
# that they may receive the revenue anC
l. obtain votes, line of death and bust