Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-30
SUMPTUARY LAWS.
William E. Hammond, M. D., on Their
Social Influence.

William E. Hammond, M. D., on Their
Social Influence
There are many persons who have
what they conceive to be the good of
their fellow creatures so greatly at heart
that when they cannot succeed in MAX
ing them conform to their standard of
right and wrong, they endeavor to ac-
complish their objects by legal enact
ment. Such laws as those to which
refer interfere with the personal liberty
OF those against whom they are aimed,
are inquisitorial in their nature and
what is perhaps a point of even still
greater Importance, they fail to accom-
plish the object in view and being con-
tinually evaded on one preteXt or an
other, diminish that respect for the
majesty of the law which all we'll
ordered citizens should entertain.
Among the first within our knowledge
to provide by law for the regulation of
the appetite, the taste, the affections,
the dress and the most minute details in
the life of a citizen was Sparta. For
eigners were not allowed to enter
Sparta; even the feeble children, as
being unfit for war and liable to become
public burden on the community, were
put to death. Gold and silver were ex-
cluded, the coinage was OF iron, and as
far as possible the whole nation was fed
alike. 1t succeeded just as persecution
succeeds when it is thorough and i'm
placable. If we could kill all those who
oppose us in our efforts to make matters
accord with our ideas, we should un-
doubtedly be triumphantly successful,
but if we killed only few of them, 1t
would not be long before the number of
the remainder would be so augmented
that they would kill us.
In Rome the attempt to regulate the
dress, the food, the furniture of the
houses by law after law, was failure.
In France, during the Celtic period,
law was passed that women should
drink water only. In 1883, or there
about, the wearing of garments of vari-
GUS colors was prohibited, and no one
could have more than two courses at
meals. In 1928 scarlet was permitted to
be worn by only princes, knights and
women OF high rank. The use of silver
plate was prohibited except to certain
high dignitaries, and women were fire.
quently sent to prison for wearing
clothes above their rank.
In England during the reign of Ed
ward ", cloth of gold or silk of a purple
color was prohibited to all but members
of the royal family. Lords were per-
mitted to wear velvet, knights satin and
esquires and gentlemen camelet. None
but noblemen were allowed to wear
woolen clothes made out of England, or
fur sables; and no laborer, servant or
artificer might wear any cloth that cost
more than 2 shillings yard.
In the year 1889 an act of parliament
imposed restrictions on the use of costly
food, on the ground that great men by
these excesses have been sore grieved,
and the lesser people, who only en-
deavor to initiate the great ones in such
sorts OF meats, are much impoverished !"
In the reign of James all sumptuarv
laws were repealed. Since then tie
people of England have been allowed to
wear, to eat and to drink what they
pleased.
In our own country, as early as the
year 1889, we have the prototype of the
law enacted few years ago in the state
of Iowa which prohibits one person
from inviting another to take drink. or
treating, as it is called.
In Massachusetts drunkenness was
made crime, and in 1886 one Peter
Bussaker was condemned for drunken
ness to be whipped with twenty stripes
we'll laid on.
Tobacco was especially obnoxious to
the early colonial authorities of Massa-
chusetts. The trade in the weed was
allowed only to the old planters, but the
sale or use Of it was absolutely forbidden,
unless upon urgent occasion for the
benefit of health, and taken privately.
The laws which several states have
enacted relative to the manufacture and
sale of alcoholic liquors are true
sumptuary laws. As q matter of fact,
such laws are never equally enforced
upon all classes of the community. In
the most severe Of all the states, it is
perfectly practicable for any person with
pecuniary means to import as much
alcoholic liquor for his own use.
and that of his family and friends,
as he chooses. The poor man to
whom glass of beer, or of wine taken
decently and in order, might not only
do no harm, but might supply positive
want OF his system, has to 60 without, or
else resort to deceit or subterfuge. More
over, such laws being in this age of the
world impossible of enforcement tend to
! bring all law into contempt.
A sin or vice does not necessarily in
fict injury upon others, whereas crime
does. Drunkenness is not of itself, prop
erly speaking, crime, and, as have
already said-why stop at making drunk
enness crime, when there are other
vices far more immoral and more des-
tructive to the character of the perpe-
traitor? Why not enact law against
lying. i Popular Science Monthly.
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