Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-12-31

Giving Liquor to Minors.

Our court seems TO be 20 profoundly
impressed with the iniquity Of the act
Of furnishing liquor to minors, Us to
deem man worthy Of punishment of
fifty dollars fine and forty days
imprisonment, who had given minor
drink Of whisky out of his pocket
flask during picnic excursion.
It was not sentence which
! the fair judgment Of men, In our
opinion, will approve nor was.it in
fiictcd under law which will endure
criticism. The Judgment which finds
o man guilty of crime for giving any
quantity, however small, Of spirituous
liquor to minor, we do not be-
lieve will be sustained by an appeal to
the supreme court. The law of 1887
under which this conviction was had
apparently calls for it, and the court
here perhaps is not to be condemned for
following It; but the case should be put
in such position as to secure an interpre-
tation of the law from the supreme tri-
bunal, which will relieve the whole
community from risk of going to jail
for doing that which 1t is sometimes
very proper for them to do.
For ii is not every man or woman
who thinks that 1t is wrong to give
wine to children. 1t is wise opinion
that children should be accustomed to
the moderate use of spirituous liquor to
the end that they may not indulge as
men in its immoderatc use. We know
that many people think differently and
look with horror upon the parent who
gives wine to his children. Neverthe-
less II is practice that Is defended by
the soundest sense and warranted by the
longest experience. 1t Is founded upon
the indisputable doctrine that the
teaching of self-control in the in
dulgence Of. all the appetites is
the prime duty of the parent who seeks
to prepare his children for responsible
manhood. The child who is forbidden
to taste liquor in his childhood Is likely
TO taste II TO excess in his manhood.
The child who Is permitted its moderate
use and taught that excess in the use OF
all of natures gifts is wrong, that the
crime Is In the abuse and not In the use
Of them, may surely be expected ms a
man to use but not abuse the things
that are given for our enjoyment.
Then again the use of spurious liquor
Is often really necessary for the health
Of children, the stimulant being n need
full medicine. Yet this law recognizes
Z no such need. 1t makes it n crime Il
give, sell or in any other manner to fur
nish TO a minor any spirituous, malt ol
brcwed liquor. 1t is n law which Is ant
n 40 vctll hx, ;nla nj Npl,tnl, a n
not be enforced.
1t is not every court that will be will
lug TO enforce, nor every jury that vii
respect 1t. Under 1t the best part of tn
community stands in daily danger of
Jail. To is law Of ffanaticism and ignoi
ance, which we confidently believe tina
the supreme court will sweep from tn
statute book. 1t may be held to he con
stitutional to prohibit the gift of liquo
by a stranger to minor but 1t cal
never be held to be within the power G
the Legislature TO declare what the ma
ural guardian of the child shall give
for its food or drink, of the food 9
drink that is tit for the parent.
This legislation shows the folly
seeking to stop by law every mousc-hol
Of wrong. The law which has lon
prohibited the sale Of liquor to minor
has been salutary one and was u
that was needed. This new amendmer
which seeks to prevent minor froi
getting a drop of liquor into his mout
HH great folly and mining to wipe o,
every particle of the wrong done in SUI
plying liquor to youths, succeeds simpl
in making itself ridiculous aud ineile,
tive