Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1892-07-01
w. C. T. A DEpaR MEnT.-
CONDUCTED BIZ MEMBERsoF THE W. c. T. A.
SOCIETY OF LAPoRTE, PA.

part of the great universe, and is as
much nnder the domain oflaw as the
planets, rocks, trees, and other
natural objects, or as the pebble,
which, when thrown in the air, falls
to the ground in obedience to the law
of grayitation. In addition to the
general laws which relates to all
natural objects, and to which man
is subject in common with all other
objects, men is governed by various
special laws which relate TO his ply
steal, mental and moral welfare.
Morality is generally looked upon
as relating solely To those relations
which are directly embraced in the
injunctions of the ten command
nents; but the view which regards
man as natural object, governed
only by natural laws, and which de
finds right doing as being simply
obedience to law, gives to the term
morality an immensely broader
scope, and makes it include all those
laws and principles by which his en-
tire Icing is governed.
This notion of morality is con-
fesseoly modern one, or rather
a revival of primitive idea which
was hidden so deep in the mental
and moral darkness of the middle
ages that only in the modern times
begun to reach the light. "But," says
a young man who recognizes the
Importance of holding fast to the
principles Of morality, as related TO
other matters, sis it anybody's busi-
ness what l eat or drink or wear, or
how l use my body f? Do not l be
long to myself ? and haven't l
r'ift :igGy u 10 40 as / pIassse with MYSELF"
Let us see how much truth thnGGre lnGGrre is
in claim that individual rights in
clude the right to treat the body In a
manner not consistent with it's in
terests,-to abuse the stomach
for the purpose of affording
the palate a questionable graft
fcation to whip and goad the
brain and nerves by stimulants to do
more work than is possible for them
to do without injury; to recklessly
violate any or all Of the laws oil
health.
Here is man who has vast pos
sessions, houses, barns, well-filled
granaries, collections of rare and
curious natural objects, galleries
filled with beautiful works of art
safes filed with paying stocks and
government securities,-all sorts o.
wealth. Suppose this man takes it
into his head to destroy his wealth.
Hold on there says the Law, and
its strong hand is laid upon him as
soon as his purpose is discovered.
A man who recklessly destroys his
property is regarded as either q
criminal or lunatic, and, in either
case, unfit to be at large. The State
recognizes the fact that the mans
property is not his own, or at least
that others have interests in it
What he does not require for his
own use, belongs to his surviving
relatives or, in case he dies without
a will and without heirs, to the
State.
The State recognizes the right Of
a child to inherit from his father his
due share of the property which the
latter may have acquired. Ought
not intelligent men and women to
recognize the fact that the child has
an even greater right to inherit from
its parents constitution unimpaired
by vicious or injurious habits 0,
neglect Of the requirements of physi.
cal law?
That quaint philosopher, DR..
Oliver Wendell Holmes, remarks that
each one of us is an omnibus, in
which ride all our ancestors. What
right has any man by reckless habits
of life to compel each OF his children
to carry about in his somnibusn the
results of his selfish qualification of
depraved tastes aud morbid appe
tltes
Another consideration, which Ger
tainly Is worthy OF thought, il the
fact that the brain which does our
thinking Is part OF the body, aud
whatever serious effects the ph ysiea
health, whatever lower nerve or vita
tone, directly Affects, ia a harmful
say, the mind. The man whose
vital tone is lowered by sedentar,
occupation, by dissipation, by ans
means which oveTtaaes OF eXhausts