The Penn's Grove record., 1901-01-25
Is L1ouoR SELLING A CRIME

CORD Jan. 18th Now q THEN OF Oldmans.
makes a plea for Prohibition based on
stock arguments OF Prohibition fanatics.
He or she-we will say he for conven-
fence, declares that law is the creator Of
public sentiment and therefore a prohibi-
tory law against liquor selling should be
enacted. because God gave to Moses a
prohibitory law against murder and adul-
terry.
Now & THEN seems not to understand
there are different laws-Divine, announ-
ced by God in the ten commandments;
statute laws made by the legislators OF
states and nations, and court made laws,
founded on customs or justice between
men. He declares that selling liquor is a
crime. That license is a crime and high
license is a high crime.
In discussing the temperance question
prohibitory advocates loose sight of the
free moral agency and personal liberty of
man and fail to distinguish between a
crime, vice and sin. A crime is an ac-
ton contrary to the law of the State.
Selling liquor is not contrary to the laws
of New Jersey; nor a law of the United
States, if a license or the U. s. tax is paid.
The license and revenue is imposed to
raise revenue and to restrict the sale of
liauor, and not to make it a crime in it
self. because, before these were imposed
any one could sell it. Liquor selling is
not a crime, although Now & THEN might
desire to make it so.
A sin is a moral crime, an action con-
trary to the laws Of God, That is, acts
wrong in doing the act itself. We assert
that liquor selling and liquor drinking
are not sins, moral crimes in the act it
self. II they were God would have Civ
| en- to Moses the command. Thou shall
not sell Intoxicating liquors; thou shalt
not drink intoxicating liquors. the same
| as he said thou shall not steal, murder,
nor commit adultery. In CHASING liquor
sellers with murderers and adulterers,
Now 4 THEN, in his zeal oversteps the
Wv
laws Of decency' because ne can ma no
authority for such In the laws OF God nor
the laws OF this State
We declare that every may, . *
THEN included, has h personal liberty
to say what h shall drink, eat and wear,
and wE"t each may COST no other person
has a right to interfere, so long as he
does not iniure himself nor others and
pays his debts. Now there u be some
line where the personal rights OF man to
drink liquor, which no prohlbltlonlst
ever declared his right to stop, meets
with his right to acquire by another per-
sons right to sell.
Man has made stealing, adultery and
murder crimes by State laws, In conform
| ity with Gods laws. Since God dld not
make selling and drinking liquor a moral
crime and the state mas not zone IL what
moral right has Now q IHEN IN ms zeai
to class one Win the oeher' III ooihs
such is he not more morally wrong IMAM
the liquor seller himself VINO acts accord
ing to law?
Salem county has no saloohs' soieiy lor
drinking purposes as IN cities, put mas
licensed tayerns Tor the accommodation
of the public. The application for incense
I states that the applicant is known lof
good repute for honesty and temper
ance' and that the inn OF tavern Will
J conduce to the public good. The sigma
lures OF twelve land owners n the grant
ing OF the license by the County Judge
legally confirms thSc'- The license hold-
er gives a bond to provide accommoda-
tions for the travelling pubic. II the
license holder h be convicted OF
drunkenness his Incense snail be
The Nerts law shows where the right
to sell ceases and the right to puy and
drink liquor ends ltsays: L any mold
er OF any license shall sell or furnish to
any person known IN the nelghborhood
to be OF confirmed incorporate habits, or
who Is Vlslbly under the influence OF IN
toXlcatlng liquors, or shall keep a dIsor-
DERBY house or harbor drunken persons,