Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1904-03-03
Legislation on Vice and Crime.
tBy DR.. Edward D. Burleigh.)


Editor Mrs. Grundy;
A friend has Just sent me fragment
of the Nashville Daily News of last fall
containing letter from Capt. VIM, p
Tolley criticising an editorial in that pa
per on the liquor question. My friend
suggested that send you letter on the
same subject, as the principal involved is
a very important one, and for that reason
cheerfuliy comply.
The Nashville Daily News seems to
have commended some law, probably a
| local option law aimed at the liquor
traffic, and Capt. Tolley very properly
objects to all such laws. He plainly
draws the line between vice and crime
and claims that while the latter is a
proper subject of legislation the former
is not. Vice is bad act or course Of
action, which does not necessarily iniure
anyone but the actor. Crime, on the
contrary, necessarily Injuries others and
is therefore properly subject of social
action.
Iyield to no one in my detestaton of
drunkenness and the desire to see tenn
perance prevail, but prohibition is not
proper means to that end. Making, buy
ing and selling Intoxicating drinks never
made anyone drunk. These acts do not
constitute an aggression on anyone. No
one can sell what others will not buy.
But as long as considerable numbers of
people want to buy, and are financially
able to buy any article, people will be
found to make and sell it. Those who
would like to do away with the manufac-
ture and sale of spirituous liquors (of
which | am one) should begin at the
other end they should persuade people
not to buy them and thus destroy the
market for them.
Drunkenness is very bad and is the
cause of untold suffering and misery but
not all who buy and drink intoxicating
beverages get drunk. Very many use
them moderately all their lives and yet
remain good citizens, good husbands,
fathers, sons and brothers. Some men
buy them, drink more than they should
and make beasts of themselves, abuse
their families and commit other crimes
But there is law enough now for their
punishment, without enacting prohibit
tary law against making and selling
such drinks. Some men go to gun stores
and buy pistols and shoot other men
with them. Some people go to hardware
stores and buy knives or axes or hatchets
and use them murderously against their
fellows. Must we therefore prohibit
the manufacture and sale of pistols and
knives, axes and hatchetsi 1t is not the
manufacture and sale OF these instru-
ments which makes the trouble, but their
wrong use. No more is it the manufac-
ture and sale of spirituous drinks which
makes the trouble, but their wrong use.
am one of those who think that man
should abstain wholly from the drinking
of alcoholic beverages. have never
drank them and do not intend to do so.
But that gives me no right to dictate to
my neighbor who does not agree with
me in opinion, but who thinks 1t we'll to
use such drinks moderately or even to
excess and who nevertheless behaves as
| do, aggresses on no one, never gets
drunk, or if he ever does, keeps indoors
and does not disturb others. He should
be as free to think as he pleases and to
act in accordance with his belief, as
am. If not, why notf
The proper function of government is
not to make its subjects good 1t has
nothing to do with private character; its
function is to protect and maintain the
equal rights of all. If anyone for any
reason, invades or seeks to invade the
rights of another person organized, So
ciety may and should interfere and pre-
vent such invasion; but with the acts of
non-aggressive individuals, organized
society has absolutely nothing to do
This rule should be applied as test to
all proposed legislation. 1t condemns
all sumptuary laws, all persecution for
opinions sake, all prohibitions of acts
which are in themselves non-invasive.
But it calls for the strictest prohibition
of all aggressive action.
Yours for Equal Freedom,