Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-05
FOR CONGRESS, SIXTH DISTRICT
REEL b. TERRY, of Fresno.
The government and Morality.

T0e G0Vefmment ana NA0faHtys
The charge is made and frequently
repeated that the Republican party is
welded to the policy of sumptuary laws
This that party as often denies. But the
denial is bald one lacking any iota Of
proof. In it's late Convention at Chicago
Mr.. Boutelle, of Maine, introduced this
resolution: "The first concern of all
Government is the virtue and sobriety
"of the people and the purity of the
sshome. The Republican party cordially
'ssympathizes with all wise and well
directed efforts for the promotion of
Temperance and morality"
the resolution was passed in that Con-
vention by rising vote, only one
member voting in the negative.
1t is the very quintessence Of
sumptuary law. That is matter which
admits Of no debate. The party must
accept it.
What then is there Objectionable in the
resolution and in the policy which die
tates it. This-that it is subversive oi
the most vital, essential and elementary
of all the principles on which our Gov
eminent is based. We make the state
ment boldly that the very converse Of
the proposition is the truth, and that
in its every word and syllable the
resolution is false. 1t is no concern at
sii Of this Government whether the
citizen be virtuous or not, or
sober or not. The Government
has no right to interfere with
any citizens morality, nor with any
citizens immortality. Morality is no
concern of this Government.
These are fundamental principles
which no subterfuge in the way of argu-
ment can overthrow. They are the very
essence of craftsmanship which no states
man will dare to call in question.
Temporal governments are concerned
in the making of laws; in the trying of
persons charged with the violation of
these laws, and in duly executing these
laws. Nothing could be more definite
than all the principles laid down
by the trainers of our Constitution
and the fathers of this Republic on these
points. If there is anything in any doc
ument purporting to set forth what
principles this Government is founded
upon, or accepted as elementary upon
our institutions which by implication
gives any branch Of the Government
any control over the morals of the pri-
vate citizen, or any right to interfere
with his morality or immortality, what is
that document? Who composed it?
Whence does it derive its authority ?
And where is it to be found? 1t is not
IN the Declaration Of Independence.
There is no germ of it
in the Articles of Confederation
Nor does it lurk anywhere in any word,
syllable or letter in the Constitution OF
these United States.
This Government has legislative
branch which makes laws. It has a iu-
dicial branch which tries cases in which
breach Of law is charged. 1t has an
executive branch whose duty it is to see
that the laws are duly executed. Where
is tbs branch of this Government which
is charged with watching over the morals
OF private citizens? Who is the censor
OF morals and by what standard is he to
judge Of the virtue of the people?
Laws may be moral, they may be i'm
moral, and they may be neither.
The executive cannot inquire into this
point. He must carry them out,
whether they be one or the other, or
neither.
In Egypt the laws used to make it OBJ
Egatory on members OF the royal family
to marry their sisters-a most immoral
law, as we yegard virtue and the sspurity
Of the home." In Turkey, to-day, man
may have plurality of wives-another
very immoral law, and utterly subversive
OF the "purity Of the home," as we look
at these things.
In the good old times when men of
the Boutelle stripe, and Of the
stripe Of large portion of
the Republican party held sole,
sovereign sway in New England, men
were fined for not going to church on
Sunday, and to q certain church at that.
1hat was q most monstrously immoral
law, and its action was utterly subversive
cf real virtue, for it fostered, yes forced
hypocrisy on the part Of the people. In
that section Of the country the laws cast
helplees women sewed in sacks into the
rivers, to prove they were not witches by
swimming ashore to be burned for witch