The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-11
ON LAWS AGAINST INrEERERASCz
20 the Editor OF the Eagls.

To the Editor OF the Eagle
Yesterday, by chance 1 picked UP book
ana. opened Il. "On Laws Against Intsrn-
peTaaee." by John Stuart MN john
Stuart NH among readers IS ciasseti with
F'rcndi. Carlyle. Emerson. ct al. as tsi-,S-
ers In this day OF intolerance. i have
thought this article would bear reading
Nih says:
Under the name of preventing :n,sra-
peracce the people of ore English coioay.
AID OF a number OF governments OF the
United States, have been interdsetea by
harsh laws from making and vending fer
rlsnted drinks, except cor certain except
Ell uses:
.Proh:b :tion or manufacture and sale,
is in fact, il carried out. prohibit. ton OF
use Though the srnpracticshsEty of en-
fc-cemeat OF such laws has caused re-
peal in some, a.d modification n other
states. an attempt IS row prosecute3 w,ts
great zeal by many professional Ihiiaa-
throp.sts 10 result. II successful. n SIN
liar laws for England. The alliance, which
has been formed. has acquired consider
abs rctor.ety. through correspondence
with public men. among whom s LSre
Stanley Tie alliance deplorcS the re
cosn.tiol Of any principle which can be
wrestod 10 justify. either b.sotry. into!er-
aace o. persecution. and u undertakes 10
point out the broad and impossible aar-
r;er dividing such principles from the
claims CT TIE alliance"
For = premise Il alleges: ''An matters
relating 10 thought. opinion. conscience
are without and beyond the sphere OF
legislature; all matters pertaining 10
social act, habit, relation. subject only 10
a discretionary power vested in the state,
and not primarily vested IL the individual
are property within the scope OF les;sia-
ten"
To our mind the state might as well
forbid the drinking of liquor as TO en-
deavor by law 10 make ii impossible Tor
the consumer 10 obtain Il.
To make IL n crime 20 sell an article
which IS lawful TO buy is at least a
contradiction.
Listen, however, 10 the alliance. which
by its secretary. says: II claim as citi-
zen the right TO leg:Slaie whenever my
social rights are invaded by another. i
claim that the traffic in liquor invades
my social rights by destroying my prim-
airy right Of security. by stimulating and
creating social disorder in the community;
by deriving profit from poverty created
by traffic / am taxed 20 support. by sur
rounding my path with danger and by
weakening and demoralizing society. from
which society I have a primary right 70
claim mutual aid and assistance
To my mind theory of social rights
! which never before found it's way into a
distinct claim. being nothing short of the
, following. viz:
! The absolute right OF every man thai
! every other man should act every re
! spect as / think he should act: that who
! sGeyer fails 10 act as suggest violates my
! primary social rights and entities me u
| iegislate for the removal of the grievance
| So mGnstrous principle is more danger
! Gus than interference with liberty: Their
! is TO violation of liberty which such ;
! theory viii not justify; II acknowledge.
no right 70 any freedom except 10 hol'
| a contrary opinion in secret. The doc
trine ascribes to and bestows on each MAJ
| vested interest in the moral. intellectual
/ and physical weifarIse OF all mankind
TO be defined by each person according L
| his own standard of perfection.