The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-04-26

for, to keep down all crimes, vices and
evils in the land, consequently the bet
ter laws we have, the better state Of
civilization we attain TO, and the more
civilization is elevated, the more liber-
ty | have. Aud as we have already
proven that whiskey is an evil, and the
cause of great many crimes, we
should have lew sufficient to prohibit
the manufacture and sale thereof, as a
beverage. But you say that destroys my
liberty. Do you think that liberty
means for each aud all of us to go and
do as we please. Mr.. A Is arrested
for stealing and sent to the peninten-
tiary, and he proclaims tLat you are
taking away his liberty by imprison-
ing him Mr.. B commits murder and
is sentenced to be executed, and he
protests, saying "don't hang me, you
are deprlving me of my liberty Mr..
G declares he would rather see his
right arm severed from his body than
give up whiskey. Is not this man un
der the most abjeot slavery and bond
age, do you call this liberty. And
now whom we insist to have law to
prohibit another evil, you say that we
are taking away your liberty. God
forbid, you say it is unconstitutional.
Is it wise for YOU and me to compare
our judgments with such men as the
supreme judges of the United States,
when seven out of eight voted aud de-
clared that it was constitutional. Then
agair, when a man is sober aud clear
headed, he is himself, and has the lib
erty to 90 and act as he desires, but
you fill him with rum and he is indoi-
ent, thick headed, not capable of at
tending to business, aud he is in the
power of the rum seller, yes, but you
say, have no right to say what you
shall eat, drink or wear providing you
steal it, and this is what thousands are
doing daily, stealing the clothes and
food that should go to the support OF
their families, aud expending it for
rum. protest again that / have u
perfect right to, aud duty l owe to
suffering humanity, to say what they
shall drink, and above all this is duty
l owe to God.
Others say that | can take care Of
myself, and every other person can do
the same, and it is none of my business
what others do. If they wish to Kill
themselves with whiskey that Is their
lookout, but pause a moment. Cair
said: "Am my brothers keeper" |:
there not then great responsibility
resting upon u.s. There are hundreds
yea, thousands of drunkards say they
will vote for the amendment, because
as long as it is at my next door my ra
ven Gus and craving appetite will have
it, but eNterminate it and | can do
without it, and they reach out thei
hands and cry for us to come aud hell
them. Now it l refused to go tC
their rescue | would be a very indol
ent and selfish sort of man, will g
feeling that my conscience is clear.
You also state that you ignor,
drunkenness, but you believe in drink
ing, with moderation and decency, an,
not TO excess.
Perhaps you can do so, but we ar
not all constituted alike, and the ma
jority of people cannot, it is utterl.
impossible for them to control thei
appetites, this is why we are willing t
aid them. NV friend finishes by say
ing the definition of temperance
moderate indulgence of the appetite
moderate, sober. May then ask If
is possible for a man to indulge in tn
liquor made to-day and remain sober
But the word temperance is not wha
we are advocating, IT Is the word pre-
hibition. Please give US the definitio
of this.
Others say it is. mot right to d-priv
man of his licence after ALLOW
him to go TO the expense of improvin
his property, and building breweriei
Sc. Now the absurdity of such an al
gument, while the Law legalized hir
the right to obtain wealth and il
crease the valuation of his property,
also legalized him the right TO d,
crease the valuation of his customer
property, rendering some entirely pei
niless, and others homeless. NJ
while the law had right to do lhi
it has on the other hand the same rigt
to reverse it, to legalize law th'
will increase the valuation of the:
hundred homes, and decrease the walt
alton of the landlords property. f,
illustration, suppose the liquor me
have gone to so much unnecessary e,
pense on buildings aud property, fC
. the purpose OF degrading humant
ant the poor to become poorer. Do
not the burglar 90 to an unnecessal
expense, to equip himself with Il
finest tools to steal our hard earning
and make us poorer. We might ;
well say it is unconstitutional and n
right for us TO deprive the burglar Il
the use of his tools to rob people,
for you TO say it is unc onst tulional al
; not right to deprive the liquor mt
of the right to manufacture aud sell {
: cohol in these buildings, to steal OF
daily earnings, from our families wi
depend upon us for their support az
not the liquor men, They stand n
on equal footing, for the burglar h
= the preference in the argument.
Again the Bible says, 'Habakkuk .
Is "cursed is he that putteth the bolt
: to his neighbours lips, there are diffe
ent ways of doing this, it can be do
by the usual way of treating at h
Q bar, or in handing him a bottle, or
4 can be done by signing landlord
e license, thereby deputizing him to
4 it for you, and lastly il can be done
Y the ballot Of the coming electio
3 Every voter that places a vote
: whiskey, places the bottle to his neig
a boris lips, by enacting laws that dep
7 tize Others TO do it. On which 81
d do you stand, come to the front,
9 summing it all up in a nut shell,
r whiskey as we now have it an evil an,
e curse, or benefit and good to the co
a munity and country Did you ever thu
It that every ballot you cast for whiske
a you are virtually taking or causing
g be taken hundreds and thousands
d lives, thereby making Won wholas,