The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1892-01-01
tea or coffee, or opium, or wine, or cider

or whiskey?
If stimulation in itself is sinful then it
must be wrong to use any stimulant, al
coholic or otherwise. And if stimulation
in moderation is not sinful then the prop
er use of alcoholic stimuants is in itself
no more wrong than the use of tea or
coffeea8
III it is simply degree of stimulation,
a cup of strong tea might excite the
nervous system more than a glass of
light wine. A cup of coffee may affect
man more than bottle of beer or mug
of cider. What is the difference?
There is this difference. Everything
In the world is subject to abuse; but
some things are more easy of abuse than
others and also susceptible of more
abuse. Moreover, the abuse of some
things is much more dangerous and de-
structive than that of others. The prac-
tcal question with society is in all things
to secure to all its members the highest
conditions of peace and prosperity. To
this end, law and government must be
most strict with reference to- the most
dangerous abuses.
For instance, the tobacco habit is per-
haps the most common and all prevailing
vice of this age and it is wasteful and
ridiculous beyond comprehension; but it
is not a dangerous and ruinous habit, like
that of the abuse of Intoxicating drinks
and, hence, there has been little or no
legislation with reference to it. The to-
bacco habit is more purely vice than
the drinking habit. That is to say, no
good is claimed for tobacco, as there is
for alcohol, in medicine, arts, etc.
AS matter of fact, alcoholic liquors
are considered necessary in their proper
place, while tobacco has no claim to any
such place even.
Now, the fundamental idea of soci-
ETY. is mutual protection and benefit. The
primary object of all laws and govern
ment with us is to secure to each individ-
ual the greatest personal liberty in the
exercise of his natural rights, consistent
with the highest welfare of the whole.
In so far as anything is ii general public
good,i is to be protected and promoted 3;
and, in so far as it is an evil, it must be
restricted and regulated.
Naturally, we should say, man has a
right to make, buy and drink wine, ci-
der, whiskey, etc., etc. But, the State
says, there is great danger to society in
2 these things. The traffic in Intoxicating
2 drinks must be regulated. Public drink
- ing, as custom or habit, treating and
= tempting one another for the pleasure of
tipping and intoxcation, has always
r proved to be an evil to society AND, there
, fore, society must be protected against
, the ravages of drunkenness and the waste
f of excess.
If a man has a right to sell whiskey,
he has no right to entice others to buy it
and use it to their hurt and the injury of
, the community. A man has right TO
drink but he has no right to get drunk,
. because, when he gets drunk, he Injuries
F himself and, when he Injuries himself, he
Injuries society, of which he is a part.
f The alcoholic abuse is like any other
f. evil and must be dealt with in the same
. way. 1t must be regulated and restrain
. ed and restricted in every way proper,
f according to the necessities and dangers
q of the case. The evil is not in the thing
| itself, but in the abuse of it. Absolute
prohibition is not practicable, nor posi-
= BILE, nor even desira BILE. "A half a century
t of Intellectual legislation in New England
h.. settles that fact forever.
e Prohibition, so called, cannot succeed,
f because it is not consistent with the nat
S ural rights of men, nor in harmony with
: the moral government Of God. AS DR.
t Leonard Woolsey Bacon said, some years
, ago, ''it is founded on false moral con-
| ceptions."
AS the secretary of the Church Tenn
4 perance society says: 'Prohibition has
t absorbed the energies of temperance men
- for generation. 1t has paralyzed the
personally effective moral suasion move
, ment. In large cities, it is failure and,
t the larger the city, the greater the fail
ure." After 80 years, Prohibition holds
: the fort in 10 small cities, having only
!. PAT, 51S inhabitants, while restrictive laws
are in successful operation in 10 large
: cities having 4,O64,3l2 population" Pro-
hibition is not graphing with the evil
where it is most needed.
My experience has been that, while
, Prohibition results practically in free
rum, high license effects partial prohi-
bition. | believe in high license, because
, it is real practicable restriction of the
alcoholic abuse. 1t is consistent with
the natural rights of men and with the
acknowledged principles of good govern
ment. And it really reduces the number
of drinking places and puts the whole
business under the restraints of the law
and leyies tax on the traffic to help pay
, the expenses of its abuse.
Everybody of any experience knows
that any law which does not provide for
the necessary and useful sale of alcohol
ic liquors is dead letter and of none eff
feet to begin with. A law, to be opera
tive and effective, must be at once reason
able and consistent. A strong and effect
i've license law commends itself at once
to the reason and moral sense. 1t is fair
and square with all.
1t is in the same line with all restrictive
legislation. Indeed, all license laws are
prohibitory in their effect. License Is
restriction. You may have the natural
right to do certain things, but, as they
are subject to abuses which make them
dangerous to society, therefore you must
have permission to do so and so, under
limitations of the law.
A man has the natural right to keep