Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-05-17
ABRIDGING PERSONAL LIBERTY.

the action of the house of representatives of Michigan in passing the so-called cigarette bill an indication of the length to which the tendency toward interfer- ence in the personal rights of the people is carrying some of our legislative bodies. In the action of our own legislature in passing the bill closing saloons during the entire twenty-four hours of election days we have similar indication. It is an abridgment of the personal rights of both those who keep and those who oc- casionally or customarily frequent sa- looms.
 We are well aware that there is cer- tain class of persons in Connecticut who are not willing to concede that the saloon keeper has any rights which the public is bound to respect, and we are equally we'll aware that in their eyes it is an un- pardonable sin to say word in his defense. And yet these very per- sons are in many cases unwilling to carry their views to their logical conclusion and consent to vote for prohibition pure and simple. They are willing, either from n e.cenary or perhaps less worthy motives, to have the saloon keeper share in the burden of sustaining the municipality the while they are ready and even anxious to take an advantage of him by robbing him of the hours for which he has paid to do business. There is one day in the week consecrated by religious traditions and statutory enactments to rest from secu- lar pursuits, and it Is very questionable if the state has any moral or constitu- tional right to compel it's citizens to the abandonment of any other. Certainly would be thought preposterous to inter- fere with our dry goods stores or any other mercantile establishments or deny the right of their owners or managers to do business. And yet these merchants are not compelled to pay as dearly for the privilege of doing their business as are those who belong to the prescribed category against whom every knave and hypocrite and pharisee feels himself privileged to cast a stone. The saloon keeper is bound to the payment of an inordinately heavy license, his nose is held to the grindstone of severe legal re- strictions, and in many and various ways he is made to feel that he is en- gagged in a business that is amenable only to legal hampering. And on top of | all this come a legislature some of whose members probably have private stills on their farms. others of whom belong tC fashionable clubs where liquors can be had at all times of the day and night | and Sunday and from which the state derives no revenue, and others of whon are profitable patrons of the saloons ir their towns-along comes this legislature and coolly takes from the licensed sa. loon keeper a portion of the time fol doing business which by all right be- longs to him. As well might it tell the workingman that he must labor only si1 hours a day under pain of penal punish ment. that if he cannot earn living il six hours he must fast and respect the law. Such a legislative regu lation would justly be re garded an interference with persona rights that was not to be quietly borne l but it would be no more so than the enactment that takes from the saloor keeper a portion of the legitimate time 1 for doing business for which he has paiG the state.
 The saloon closing law is an abridg ment likewise of the rights of those who occasionally or customarily frequent the saloons. The state has no right to pre- scribe the place where men shall go, ant if a man desires to spend his evenings il a saloon he has right to do so. He may not be able to afford membership in fashionable club where liquors are solt without a license, nor get private stil in his OVID house where liquors can b' brewed as the last republican national platform would have them brewed, with out paying tax to the government. Ii is an interference with such mans per sonal rights, to say that he shall not have congenial place to visit on cleo tion nights if he is so disposed and if tn, owner of such is disposed to provide its conveniences for him. The state has nc more right to tell him that he shall no go to saloon on election nights than i has to tell him that he shall not go to his grocer's, his bakers or candlestick mak CTS. Any such legislative enactment Ii an impertinence and not according tt the spirit of American institutions ol American freedom.
 And yet we presume that it will be re garded as impolitic to raise warning cry against the excessive interference with personal rights that is growing characteristic of American legislatures So strong is the prohibition sentimen
 and so numerically powerful are it advocates that the republican leaders albeit good honest drinkers themselves deem it incumbent on them for the safe ty of their political prestige, to cate | IL 1.-- |.