The Newtown bee., 1895-11-29

Inc CHuTCu temperance OOCicGy. lit
Liquor Trade is morally harmful, eco
nomically wasteful. politically without
conscience. That it is morally harmful
every clergyman can prove from exper-
fence. That it
by drink bill in 1891 Of 81 ,079, 49,, 172
Its political conscience may be |
gagged by the following statement Of
the president of q Wine and Liquor
Dealers Association II will not support |
any man who is not in favor Of my bust
ness. I am q liquor dealer first and
republican afterwards And 50 not
only is every protest and attempt to re-
strain and regulate the drink craze re-
sented as an unwarranted interfar-
.ence with the rights and privileges
Of the people; but the business
seeks in every way to shape and control
the legislation of the town and Of the
state and Of the nation, for the protection
and promotion Of It's own sordid and de-
moralizing interests.
What a strange and dreadful insanity
is this, indeed, which would control the
world, making the food and health OF the
body and the nurture and purity Of the
soul Of secondary Importance to It's own
filthy greed and most horrible infidelity!
No sooner do we begin to talk about
this matter than we are accused Of med
ding with that which is none Of our
business. The saloon is intrenched and
fortified by the power OF the law.
1t exists by permission at least Of the
prevailing public sentiment Of the CON-
munity. 1t makes and moulds public
opinion. tits legitimate branch Of bust
ness. As Prof j. J. McCook says: TT
is business, legally recognized, legally
protected, legally encouraged If you will,
and in these respects not essentially
different from any other form Of COM
mercial activity. Liquor dealers are
therefore quite right when they object to
being harried and annoyed, denounced
and criticised and in general made public
game of, merely as liquor dealers. While
| keeping strictly within the law they are
entitled to respectful and courteous treat
ment, as merchants, while as individuals
and as citizens they may claim whatever
respect and esteem their personal charac-
ter happens to merit.
1t is, however, a dangerous business .
By this mean that its status is practi-
cally the same as merchandise in powder
or still higher explosives. Many sections
of our laws are devoted to the task OF re-
/ gulatipg the latter so that there may be
the utmost liberty Of the citizen to sell
and buy that is consistent with the safety
of the non-buying and non-selling COM
munity. Precisely SO with the liquor
business. The present attitude Of the
law is that drink needs to be sold because
people have right to use it. But the
numerous restrictions thrown around the
trade, far exceeding those relating to
high explosives, show that the liberty OF
buyer and seller, while held sacred, i.
kept strictly in allegiance to the liberty
OF the non-selling public to be protected
against possible dangers resulting from
careless, or ignorant, or malicious han.
ding of these wares.''
This is the point of most vital import
ance in this discussion and we should EN-
phasize it with all our power.
THE DRINK BUSINESS
is most dangerous kind of business
and because it emperils the peace and
-. 4
welfare Of society it is regulated and re
stricted and put under the ban Of law
The law is not framed to protect the
saloon, but to protect society against the
saloon. It was not meant to encourage
the habits and customs Of drinking, but
to restrain the abuses Of drunkenness
The law is to keep society from the raw.
ages and power Of vice and crime by pro
hibiting the causes which lead to the
social and moral degradation OF mankind
The law il against intemperance against
Temperance there is no law; temperance
is it's own law.
4 The law is made for the safety and
happiness Of the sober and industrioul
and law-abiding citizen who hates drunk.
enness and gambling and debauchery and
all the abuses which attend upon the
habits and customs Of the drink business
The proper effect of the law Ii TO pro.
hibit the evils Of intemperance. It ii
therefore the temperate and peaceable,
the virtuous, responsible and Christian
citizen who is outraged and abused and
defrauded by the saloon business and
he is the one who has right to com.
plain and to be protected Ia his rights
and privileges under the law. Indeed
we may well say that It Is the boundcn
duty Of the law-abiding and virtuous ia
enforce the law else there il no law and
order to protect our homes and families
and Christian institutions against the
vicious and the lawless. The state il q
Christian state. II was founded BY
Christians and for Christians.
We are to be governed BY the princi-
pies Of Christianity. The spirit and pur-
pose Of al our institutions comes to d
from the Word of God. We are to be
governed BY laws founded Ii the Eter-
nal principles o. divine revelation. we
are bound By the highest possible CON
siderations TO uphold the power Of the
state By the enforcement of the law
which makes ~ freemen and true Chris-
tian citizens. We cannot submit 10 Be
ruled BY the vicious and criminal with
tout giving up our Christian birthright
and most precious heritase Of liberty.
| Everybody knows how costly this busi-
4.@ 49,