Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1897-10-14

JEFFERSON ON wHIsKEY.

rious brands of alleged Jeffersonian
Democracy now on the political
market in Greater New York all
unite 10 edhdemning the Raine's
Liquor law, not one of these mot
tied organization ventures to oc--
cupy the real Jeffersonian ground
as 10 the making, selling, and
drinking of whiskey.
The great founder of the Dem
ocratic party devoted much time
and thought to the liquor question.
1t formed part of the text of at
least one message to Congress,
and in his rich and voluminous
correspondence it was frequently
the subject of thoughtful sugges-
tion and speculation. In the sec
ond year of his first administra-
tion, when Jeffersonian principles
were triumphant everywhere,
Jefferson, in a special message to
Congress, urged that body vigor-
ously to prohibit the carrying of
whiskey into the Indian reserva-
tions. "The Indians,' he said,
care very sensible of the baneful
effects produced on their morals,
their health and existence, by the
abuse of ardent spirits, and some
of them earnestly desire prohibi-
ton of that article from being
carried among them. The Legis-
lature will consider whether the
calculating that desire would not
be in that spirit of benevolence
and liberality which they have
hitherto practised toward their
own neighbors, and which has had
so happy an effect toward concili-
ating their friendship
But it was not from the untu-
tored savage alone that Jefferson
desired to remove the perilous
temptation and unrestricted op-
portunity of indulgence in whis-
key. In his earnest spirit of be-
nevolence and exalted morality,
he was eager to save his white
fellow citizens from what he char
acterized its "poisonous ccntamis
nation," by putting the price so
high through legislative enact
ments that the masses could not
afford to buy it. This was Jefer
sons position on the whiskey traf-
fic, as will be seer by the sub
Joined extract from a letter writ
ten by him, in 923, to Gen.
Samuel Smith:
81 shall be glad an additional
tax of one-fourth Of a dollar a
gallon on whiskey shall enable
US to meet all our engagements
| with punct1ality. Viewing that
tass as an article in a system of
excise. [ was once glad TO see it
fall with the rest Of the system,
which I considered as premature
ly and unnecessarily introduced.
It was evident that our existing
taxes were then equal to our ex-
isting debts. 1t was clearly for
seen also that the surplus from
excise would only become aliment
for useless officers, and would be
lswallowed up in idleness by those
whom it would withdraw from
useful industry. Considering it
only as a fiscal measure, this was
right.
''But the prostration of body
and mind which the cheapness
of this liquor is spreading
Through the mass Of our citizens
now calls the attention of the
Legislator on a very different
principle. One of the important
duties is as guardian of those
who from causes susceptible OF
precise definition cannot take
care of themselves. Such are in-
fants, maniacs, gamblers, drunk
ards. The last, as much as the
maniac, requires restrictive
measures to save him from the
fatal infatuation under which he
lis destroying his health, his NOR
ais, his family, and his useful
mess to society. One powerful OBJ
Istacle to his ruinous self-lndui-
Igence would be a price beyond
his competence. AS a sanitary
measure, therefore. it becomes
one of duty in the public guars
ldians."
| Evidently Jefferson's ''per'
Isonal liberty" principle was not
INTENDED by him to mean that the
citizen should have the right to
buy prime Kentucky bourbon
whenever and wherever he
| pleased. On the contrary, J effer-
/. son. could he haye had his way
would have put in force all the
lenginery of national, State, ane
municipal legislation to raise the
price of whiskey SO high tina
only very rich citizen could af
ford to purchase it. This is wha
: Mr.. Bryan would probably cal
legislating in the interest o
monopolies and against the poo
, man.
II Rheumatism Cured.