San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-10-06

states, Wuen Uney buTeW oh eho
yoke which Great Britain had at
tempted to fasten on them, declar-
ing that their rights had been in
vaded by that country and that
their own manhood demanded that
such invasion of ri hts be resisted.
First came remonstrance, that
failed then came revolution, that
did not fail after that came the re.
public, and that abides. That de-
claration Of rights personal, made
as the basis Of resistance to usurpa-
ton, must be concluded as the basis
Of privilege under the republic
grown out of that resistance. This
must be so, for that declaration az
firmed that these rights were in
alienable, that is they were rights
that could not be alienated, rights
upon which government could
have no lien.
Life, liberty and the pursuit Of
happiness, were set forth as the
particularly non-liensble rights to
which the citizens of the new gov
eminent were entitled. These
rights remain. Nothing in the out
growth of government or condition
can change them. Even II per.
verted, as they at times are, they
are not to be abrogated or abolish
ed, because it Is of the utmost i'm
portance that these rights be sa-
credly guarded as the one defense
Of the individual against the en-
croachments of government. The
right to live is often abused, and
men at times forfeit it under law
enactments, but the general right
to life is not thereby annulled.
The right to liberty is often
abused, and men are deprived
of liberty under the law regulat.
ing human relations, but this does
not abrogate the law Of liberty
under which the general public
live and move and have their be-
ing. The right to happiness is a
vested right, according to the de-
clarations under which this gov
eminent was established, but that
right OF the people is not withheld
because some individuals pursue
happiness at the expense Of their
fellows. The individual abuse OF
a right cannot be pleaded as an ex-
cuse or warrant for the depriva-
ton of the general masses of the
right that has been thus abused.
This being so, than every man
has the right to live, enjoy liberty,
pursue happiness, until that right
Is forfeited by his own disobedi-
ence to some law enactment. But
II this is so, then 1t must be the
first duty Of those who enact laws
to understand that all law enact
ments are bounded by the original
and preexisting right. Ignorance
and prejudice and fanaticism are
barred from any enactments that
contravene this primitive right to
life, freedom and happiness. The
Interpretation Of these, Qife, liber-
ty, hsppiness) are left to the in.
dividual. He is to be accorded his
use Of them until upon actual
trial and testimony he is shown
unfit to exercise them, and his un-
fitness cannot be pleaded as a bar
to the exercise OF that same right
by another.
These things being understood
there will be little controversy
over the matter. The right of an
individual to regulate his own
family and personal affairs is here
by guaranteed. The right to eat
and drink and seek his recreation
in his own way and at the times
best suited to himself, so long as
no other persons rights are not
confiicted with, is herein estab-
lished. Not only so, but his right
to half the road is as clear as Is
the right o: the other fellow. The
right to drink and to drink with an.
other or alone or at home, is per-
sonal right that 1t is an imperti-
hence for another to NEEDLE with,
Just as much as it would be to