The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-04-24
Jefferson Davis on Prohibi-
ton.

Inc IOllOWlng StateSmaullke and far.
seeing letter from the pen of -Presi.
dent Jefferson Davis upon the subject
of prohibition, commends itself to the
consideration af all citizens who ear
nestly desire the welfare OF the Com
monwealth. While written to Texas,
it applies equally to Mississippi and to
other States:
BEAuvoIR, MISS, July 90, 1887
Col. F. R. Lubbock:
| MY DEAR FRIEND: Yoars of the 18th
instant with it Enclosures has been re-
ceived. I have heresoforc declined to
answer any Of the Inquiries made for
my opinion on the constitutional
amendment now pending in Texas.
NY reason for not replying was an un-
willingness to enter into controversy
in which my friends in Texas stood ar
rayed against each other. In depart
ing from the rule heretofore observed.
| trust that it will rot be an un war
rantable intrusion. Reared in the creed
of Democracy. my faith in its tenets
has grown with it's growth, and ad.
here to the maxim that "The world 10
governed Too nnch.'' When our
fathers achieved their independence,
the corner stone ok the government
they constructed was andividuai liberty
and the s,cial organizations they es.
tablished were not for the surrender,
but for the projection. of natural rig hts.
For this. governments were establish
ed wing their Just power from. the
of the governed. This was
not to subject thens.1ves to the will of
the majority, as appears from the fact
that each community inserted in ite
law q bill OF rights to
guard the inalienable privileges of the
individual. There was then y two
odd purpose in govsrr ment--p protection
lnc prevention against trespass by the
tong upon the wealis the many on The
ew. The world had long suffered
rom the expressions Of government
lnder the pretext Of ruling by divine
ight, and excusing the invasion into
'rivate and domestic affairs on the plea
4 paternal care for the morals and =
ood order of the people. Our sires !
elected all such pretensions, their sys- !
em being: Government by the people I
Or the people, resting on the basis. Of 7
aturai, inalienable rights. Upon the d
asis OF these general propositions,
ill briefly answer the inquiry in re-
ard to the prohibition amendment at
sue. "Be ye temperate in all things"
as wise injunction. and would ap-
" to intolerance as we'll as to drunk
nness. That the intemperate use of !
liquors is an evil, few, if :
oy. would deny. That it is at the = =
'ot of many social disorders is conced- :
|; but then the question arises, what :,
the appropriate remedy, and what !.
e present necessity? To destroy in ! !
vidual liber.y and moral responsibil- .
y would be to eradicate one evil by !,
. substitution of another, which, il
submitted, was offered as a remedy
he abuse. and not the use of stimu. =
nts, it must be confessed, is the evil oi
be remedied. Then it clearly fol- IN
VS. that action she uld clearly be di- pr
:ted against the abuse rather than ca
e use. II drunkenness be the cause M
disorder and crime, why not pro- Ia
unce drunkenness itself to be a te
me and attach to it proper and ad. Ia'
iate penalties! II it be objected ~
It the penalties could Tot be en- ee
ced, that is an admission that pop WI
r opinion would be opposed 10 the e
;; but # 1t be true that juries couldi az
be impaneled, who would convict "
degraded criminal as drunkard. "e
necessarily follows that statutory
hibitiou against the sale and use of do,
,xicants would be dead letter. Th
, next branch of inquiry Is as to the pul
sent necessity. might appeal TO Mr.
, not as old Ms myself TO sustain the pur
,rtion that the convivisl use OF in des
csnts and the occurrence of drunk bef
ess had become less frequent within rev
last twenty years than 10 vss be- cha
!. The refaing influences Of edu- be ,
on and Christianity may be credit Of !
Fith this result Why not allow mol
E blessed haudnaidens Of virtue han
morality to continue unembsrrass doe,
heir eivilizing work? The parties sou,
lis discussion In your State have gold